Reign Supreme
by Cold Cruel and Collected
Summary: Slade's back... And up to no good. Robin's once again obsessing, and Slade's got his eyes on his 'Perfect Apprentice' once more... NO SLASH. MILD LANGUAGE.
1. Chapter 1

He moved quickly through the night, feet flying on the concrete, towards his destination. A smile flew from behind his mask as the cold voice grated in his ears his orders. Exterminate the girl, some sort of revenge on the father. Simple.

Walking into the building, massive and adorned with decoration, labours of hundreds of men just for a few to toss aside and take for granted. Nothing, of course, like what his family would do if they owned this place.

'Ignorant rich pigs,' the mumble escaped his mask without his knowing until he heard it echo across the room. His eyes darted quickly left and right, scanning the room for someone there when they shouldn't be, a slight film of fear and sweat covering his brow.

He walked up the stairs, quickly and swiftly, yet not making a sound so as to not be heard by the guards. It was only the last step that creaked, and when it did, his heart stopped. Failure of this job would be death, and death by the Sladed Man would be a death to go down in the history books. He made a mental note as he looked around to never allow himself to be hired by a mercenary such as the Sladed Man again, no matter how devoid he was of money.

A soft muffle of footsteps on carpet caught his attention, and he turned to see a clichéd child in her pyjamas standing there, rubbing the sleep from her tired blue eyes, as innocent as a sunny day's sky. She looked up at him with those eyes, so large, framed by dark lashes and a tanned young face with loving blonde curls falling around her face; she appeared to be only five, the poor thing.

'Excuse me, sir, but are you one of my Daddy's friends? Is that why Daddy isn't here?' Damn, the father wasn't there. Oh well, he looked to the innocent girl that had spoken, trust in her eyes calling out to his kindness, yet shunned by his need to survive himself. Just kill the girl, then get out of here fast as possible. Simple.

'Yes, my little Chikawat (1), I am. Now if you just come with me I will take your back to your room of rest, and then we shall find your beloved Daddy.' Tell a lie, kill a child, get paid. Simple. Yes, but only if I like lying to myself.

A sigh escaped his throat, and he groaned mentally. He walked over to the girl, his feet naturally silent on the carpet, and as he came within a few feet of her lifted his blade and allowed it to begin its ascent to her small throat, the little jugular that was pumping with blood. She looked up at him and didn't notice the glint of a blade in the moonlight, didn't notice the singing sound it made as it left it's sheath, just stared right into his eyes, and pushed a button in her hand. Right as he began to drag it across her throat, the wall burst open.

His head whipped to the side as the little girl ran away screaming for her parents, and glared at the people that had gone through so much trouble to stop him from the completion of his job. What pests.

And oh, they were pests. Badly arranged ones, too. Or, now that he looked at it again, they seemed to be quite the skilled team. The leader was clad in yellow, green and red, with a black and yellow cape falling across his shoulders. A mask was spread across his face, and his mouth was stretched in a slightly cocky grin. This made the man's stomach churn. More rich pigs come to make his life miserable.

Next to the leader was a half-man, half-robot of some sort, with an eye glowing red, and circuits blue, He had his arm aimed at the man, and, unless he could do Ariko's throwing star technique, the man didn't think of pointing an arm at someone a threat. Just rude.

There was a green boy, with hair messy and also green, clad in grey gloves and a black suit with a purple stripe and belt. His arms were folded over his chest, glaring at the man not with hate, just dislike. He doubted anyone with that innocent a look in their eyes could hate, and, unless the boy tried to attack him with his colour of green and his smell of tofu, then the man doubted that he could be a threat.

Aside the boy that resembled bad bread, was a girl with orange skin and wide green eyes that had fury in them. She watched the small girl go and turned those irises that were ablaze with the sun's fire toward him, gazing deeper and deeper into him.

The first to strike was the one that he hadn't noticed, a girl with a long blue cloak on that covered her body, only allowing him to see the eyes. She spoke words with undertones of magic, the type that he had only heard of in tales of fairies. Her purple eyes were the only thing that he saw and darkness took hold of him, and he reached into the beg that the Sladed Man had given him, and drew out the capsules and threw them at the girl, and they shone, and shone, and _shone._ The light that consumed her seemed so full of justice, the irony was hard to laugh at that it was aiding a criminal.

The green one struck next, changing into a tiger, clawing at him with fury of a lover harmed. He chuckled behind his mask as the beast recoiled in agony. There were charges fitted into his suit for just this reason. The Sladed Man had aided him again, and also, had shown him a weakness; the girl of blue, birds and darkness, the one whom he pined for. It was almost funny how obvious it was.

The orange skinned one flew in next, crying out a call of 'Friends!' and flying, well, that was a discovery… to their protection and hurling orbs of green fury at him. He eyed them careful, and dodged them all. No good being hit on his first day, and his gut told him that those things would hurt, so he avoided them.

The man with his arm pointed at him in the rude way, the Cyborg, he supposed this country called him, blazed a gun of blue beams encircled with what the man could only think of as a snake coming from the cannon to make him atone for his sins. Well, never would he. Not until the task was done, and that could not be before the end of this job. Such was spoken, such was written.

He was running for the exit when the light of traffic attack him, using a bo staff to aim for his head, yet striking low on his chest. The man let loose an 'Oomph' as the air was knocked from him, and was sent hurtling through a window out into the waiting harbour below. He looked around him to see the glass mirror his face, still masked in the black of the night, yet with a small cut across his forehead that dripped crimson regret. A mistake, but a mistake to never be repeated, or so he supposed.

He fell into the harbour below and crashed through the water, bubbles swirling around his form as he felt a mechanical arm lift him from the water, and he was once again in contact with one of the Sladed Man's robots, cold, apathetic eyes stared at him, and he groaned and awaited the ride back to the Sladed Man's hideout, with the Team of Pests watching him from within the manor.

A/N: Yay! One chapter down! I was inspired! There are like so many other cool authors on this site, and I decided that if they can do it then I can give it a shot! So I shall write a Robin Vs Slade story! And so it begins! Yay! Oh, yeah... (1) This means orphan. My science teacher calls us it all the time…: D

Censorship Man: And as she went on and on and on and on…

C.C.C.: 'Takes out morphine' 'Sticks CM' Heeheee heee… Don't you just love sadists? We make the plot line interesting… 'evil grin'

CM: Ung… Caiiitliiin…

C.C.C.: 'Sticks tongue out at him' Then next time, don't be a meanie, and maybe I wont drug you up to shut you up. Hey! That sounds kinda cool… Bye bye! Thank you for reading!

Please read and review:D And I will give you a choccie chip cookie:)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Helllooo! Yay! I got three reviews! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! And now you can see me fail at writing both Robin and Slade! Wooohooo!

CM: She really did mess them up. 'Shakes head' Poor little C.C.C…. First the interview now this…

C.C.C.: Oh, yeah! I went to a job interview! I had a tie and everything (school uniform) and I looked kinda like a Rent-A-Cop! You know how they have the short sleeved white shirts and the ties and sunglasses (My lenses are reactions… :P)? Well, I looked like that! And then I broke one of the woman's hands… 'Sobs' I just shook it and it went CRACK CRACK and I was like NOOOOO! And then she's like, Well, that's a firm handshake… And I was NOOOOOOOO! I'M SOOO SORRRRRRYY!

CM: Mwahahahah. I got to see the WHOLE thing from the back of her mind, too.

C.C.C.: But I am still going there for work experience… AND THEY HAVE CAKE! LAW FIRMS GET CAKE! Mwahahah, Wiccagem15836, you may have a TV but I have FRIGGEN' CAKE! 'Does happy dance'

CM: Ahem.

C.C.C.: Oh, fine. Back to the point. Please excuse any typos, as this is the un-edited version, 'cause I fell asleep on the couch (it was soo warm and sunny) when I was supposed to be edited. And I had some typos in the last chapter and I apologise for those! Oh, and last but not least, the disclaimer! NONE OF YOU TOLD ME TO PUT ONE IN! Do you want me to get sued?! AHHH!

Disclaimer for chapters one and two: I don't own the character or anything in the story 'cept the OCs. And even they claim to own me, not the other way around…

**REIGN SUPREME:**

He awoke where he had fallen. He'd only been able to take a single step from the boat until he had collapsed and blacked out. The ground had come to greet him, unfortunately, without a shred of love. It was hard, hard as the land he was from and just as unforgiving. And that's where he woke up.

The sound of heels echoing in the place of the Sladed Man awoke him, clicking down the path of hatred with the ground of cruelty. They were impatient, quickly stepping towards him, and angry, so angry, full of temper. They stopped menacingly close to his head, allowing him to only see boots of slaughtered animals (1) and cold metal.

'Late. Late, late, late, late. Now, Calm One, what could keep you from our Lord and Master?' Ariko's voice cut through the icy air, cold, callous and disgusted. Her impatience was amplified by her tone, the sneer she seemed to add onto every word coming through coldly. 'Did you finish the task, Calm One?'

'Ariko… It hurts… The People of Gods threw me through the night as if I were an infants toy…' It pained to speak, he guessed that he must have been laying there on the ground for hours before Ariko became angry enough to come and track him down.

She grabbed his mask, long nails grasping scalp underneath, digging painful grooves into his skin and whispered in his ear, 'You were equipped with enough by Master Slade, yet you still complain. That has always been your personality, my Calm Soother (2). All I need of you now though is the knowledge that you did the job, and that you did it correctly. I don't mind looking at you as a snivelling wreck so long as you correctly did your job. Now, answer the question.'

'Ariko, you must-' A quick yank of his mask, her nails digging in deeper, and the thick material of his mask threatening to give in under the hands of his friend. No, that couldn't happen. The mask couldn't come off. It couldn't! 'Ariko! I shall tell!' The nails began to allow the mask more purchase upon his face, and he sighed in relief. 'I did not. The sons and daughters of Gods (3) would not allow me. The girl had some sort of magic, and they heard the magic's singing call and saved her. Please, Ariko, by the mercy of the One, do not pull free my punishment!'

She sighed heavily, and spoke to him as though one would a child, 'You really are such a pitiful thing, calm one. But at least you did do your job, this time. I suppose we can go and see Master Slade now for more orders!' And with that the other, now much more, what was the English word for it? Chipper, strode down the hall of disgust, looking over her leather clad shoulder towards him. 'If you do not hurry, Little One, then I shall lose you within this labyrinth! Remember the last day of which you were lost?'

Those words said, he ran down the hall to meet his friend, keeping pace with her fast, impatient stride, looking at her impassive face for some sort of a clue as to why she had not began punishing him once more for being unable to complete a job, for dragging out a killing and allowing his 'petty morals' to gain too much of a grasp on his heart. He was frightened; Ariko seemed too calm and happy for her normal anger. Something was most likely to happen soon, and that meant that he should fear his friend.

Their steps harmonised, and they turned the endless halls at a speed that soon broke into a run, him only keeping to her pace so as to not get lost, Ariko running down the halls in the need to move. They soon turned again and he found himself staring at two large, intimidating steel doors. These were the gateway doors to _his_ mastery. These were also the ones that had caused him to commit his most recent string of murders, all in the name of the Sladed Man.

The Sladed Man was standing there, the lighting dim, leaving the room in an almost pitch black state; his back was toward the two young assassins. Even after hearing them enter, he continued to stare at the rocks that had seen and replayed (4) the children of the God's fight with him, analyzing every detail, yet keeping his focus on a certain young brightly coloured fighter. He watched the Brightly Coloured One's movements with an eye that continued to point out all flaws (5), scrutinising every detail and yet he seemed so... _Proud. _But what had he to be proud of? Surely the Bird Named One (6) had done nothing special? But, perhaps… Maybe that's why Ariko was not angered with his defeat. It was intended.

'You were not successful in your mission. Although normally I would have no patience for such an event, this time I think that I shall let it pass. But do not allow yourself to slacken, my boy, for this is a one time deal, and only because I sent you into battle intending for you to lose. I wanted to know whether or not the Titans have kept in practise in my… _absence._' His voice was cold, oh the cold, it chilled his veins, even as warm breath must have come from that iron mask. Mercy… it wasn't what he did, so surely the death should have consumed him by now. It should have wrapped itself around him in its peaceful blanket of mercy, cleansed his sins, and allowed him to die. Why was that not the case?

Ariko looked towards him and smiled, baring sharpened teeth. 'It's only because it was Master Slade's intention, that you live on Calm One. Do not forget that, for we are both at Master Slade's mercy.' She turned away from him, and picked up her weapon from a nearby table, a long spear with a star of spikes coming from where the blade met wood. Twirling it once, her movement quickened and she slammed him up against the doors, cold metal giving slightly to the force of Ariko's strength. She pressed it to his throat, still smiling as his first layer of skin gave way. 'Soother, although I may love you with a heart's feelings, I slaughtered my own family, and I loved them with a world's feelings. Recall that the Sun does not always wish for us to live out banishment in misery. We may be the first to actually enjoy it, and if _we _cannot live it out because of… Say, things not being fulfilled as they should, _I_ will.'

With that her grasp fell from his neck and he descended to the ground, staring into the sadistic eyes of Ariko, her eyes wide and insane; he sighed and looked at the Sladed Man, looking down upon him with that eye, staring deeper than he believed that even the Gods themselves could see.

--

**Robin**

He worked endlessly, all because of the fight earlier. It had to be then, right when they were going to go home from their midnight dough nuts, right then when they going to sit in the living room and watch a movie that Beast Boy had picked out (albeit that it may have been terrible to watch…), but then they had to go and get called out by the little girl whose father was in witness protection, and whom they had given a communicator just in case. Well, that's what happens when you're a super hero. You get your terrific, it's-two-AM-let's-watch-a-scary-movie moment ruined.

And now he was alone with the paperwork. Ah, the paperwork. Newspaper articles, government databases (Okay, to help people you just might have to break a rule here and there), and all in the search for that man. He had a hunch that he was working for Slade, but since his obsession episodes he had learned that he must be careful who he accuses of working for Slade. Well, at least the man at the docks had learned to not walk about the docks at four in the morning, that was for sure…

A sigh. He'd already searched all the databases, recent articles, and now he was about to check up to see if the man was an illegal immigrant. Oh the joy of the boring side of the job. He glanced around the room, until he saw the Slade mask hung there, a focal point in a sea of black and white of the newspaper clippings. Walking up to the mask, he looked at it where the eye should have been, memories flooding in from when that eye had looked down at him, that _eye_ had forced him to do work against his friends-

No. Bad. He couldn't do that again. He couldn't do that to his friends, to _her_. He had to just keep away from it, distance himself from the case. But even as he went away from the mask and back to his work, he could feel himself becoming more and more obsessive over just _who _that man was….

**A/N:**

(1) : If it's not made stupidly obvious by me, leather. Evil people tend to wear it! They just do! Lots, too… And the good people wear spandex. Strange, neh?

(2) : Erm, nickname. Don't have a name for him yet. Any suggestions? Must sound foreign, don't know why, it just must… And if you like you can also give me a meaning! That would be a great help… If not I'll think of one myself at school tomorrow. Something that sounds like it means Soother to someone would be nice… It doesn't have to mean it or anything, just a word that _feels_ like that to you. (:

(3) : Greek mythology. Titans! Sons and daughters of Gods :D

(4) : He doesn't know what technology is. That's why it all sounds funny and stuff.

(5) : This one's pretty pointless, I just wanted to say, isn't Slade just that much of a cynic?!

(6) : In a bit I'm going to stop calling him stuff like this and just call him Robin, 'cause it's too boring not to... :D

C.C.C.: Sorry that I can't write Slade or Robin. It was a first try, HAVE MERCY! 'sniff sniff' Reviews are very welcome. Especially if they'll help me write Robin and Slade. And every other Titan, for that matter. I may edit this later, but right now I can't be bothered. (:

CM: HAVE NO MERCY! EAT HER ALIVVVEEE! MWAHAHAHAHAH!

C.C.C.: ...Where'd I put that chloroform?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hello! Sorry that it's been ages, I wrote the first part, Slade's part, ages back… SORRYS!

I added the names so no more confusion and… Stuff. I had Robin in the last chapter, but doesn't like 'stars' apparently. So I added… whatchamacallems… Dashes!

Apologies about any mistakes.

**DISCLAIMER:** Zip-i-di-doo-dah, Zip-i-di-day, my oh my what an ownerless day!

**REIGN SUPREME:**

**Slade**

He looked around for his tools. He picked on up, smiling behind his mask as he began to work. The plan had no flaws, and despite that fact, he had also made it so that it could allow for all variables in the unlikely event that the plan went even slightly awry.

Glancing down at the machine on his table, he began to work. It was quite easy to do, really. It would also be staring the Titans in the face, the whole time, which would mean that the chances that they would actually find it would be even lower, because they would look to wherever seemed out of the way, somewhere that was hard to get to. He chuckled.

He was creating a machine that would vibrate. But the vibrations that this machine would cause would be so very great. He was going to place it under jump, along with Terra. It would be near her, but because of the vastness of his old fortress, it could be hidden easily. The Titans would never expect him to hide something where one of their members visited daily. The vibrations would destroy all that Terra had done when she had stabilised the ground, shaking the rock so much that the magma hidden behind it was allowed to flow free and would soon destroy all of Jump, also conveniently ridding himself of his ex-'apprentice' along the way. Terra would be gone, and that would emotionally cripple a few of the Titans. The device also had codes in it so that if anyone decided to move it or tamper with it, it would go off, letting it's vibrations loose and scrambling the brains of whoever decided to make themselves a threat to him.

He gave the screw another twist. It was so simple, really. Just use one of his 'assistants' to get Robin all by his lonesome, then allow him to fight on of them, weaken him both physically and mentally, and then when Boy Wonder beat the lucky assistant, Slade would pop in with an army of robots and unveil his new plan to Robin. Then the boy would have no choice, his morals still needing to be demolished.

Of course after that, he would get rid of his 'assistants' and move to a more stable city. Looking behind him, he saw the girl bent over the boy, where she had been for ten minutes, their eyes locked in some sort of communication. Not that it mattered. The girl was loyal, and that was all that mattered to Slade; that she wouldn't betray him in the time that it took for him to use her and lose her. He would make her death interesting though; that was for sure. Of course quickly after that the other one, the boy, would have to die too. The only reason that he was loyal was because of his girlfriend's loyalty. Fool. His feelings would be his undoing.

But all after Robin was dealt with. Another smile formed behind his mask. Robin needed a mentor, and Slade a student. The Bat hadn't been up to it, so it was… his _duty _to pick up the slack. And Robin had such an endless supply of potential, so of course he had to allow the boy to reach his fullest. There was no way that the boy was not going to be his apprentice after his first defiance, either.

He walked past the two, down the steps and came to a room. The door was sleek, and no one would have noticed it had he not stepped through it and disappeared down through the abyss below…

**--**

**Robin then Camera**

The laughter echoed around the room as the movie ended, the credits rolling in with music to fill the room with more sound. Robin smiled, the first time in days since the incident and looked over his shoulder. Five empty pizza boxes awaited binning, sitting on the counter with solemn faces. The letters on the boxes stared up at the ceiling, large, red and screaming for attention.

'Dude, that was like, the awesomest ever!' Beast Boy's call sounded throughout the room, making Raven wince at how loud it was. Starfire smiled from her position, floating through the air peacefully.

'True friend, I too believe that that movie was most enjoyable!' Came her voice singing through the air, and Robin smiled. It felt good to be here, with them, happy. But as usual, it also felt off, like food that wasn't yet past the expiration date, but you could still taste that ghost of some part of it going wrong along with its normal taste, like an aftertaste in bad diet drinks too.

Alas, play must always relent to work from time to time, as is the other way around. He stood, cape following his movements, caressing his shoulders. He made his way over to the counter and began picking up the pizza boxes and dumping them into the trash. Finishing off the cleaning with a clap of his gloves, he turned back to them. 'I'll see you later guys, and don't forget, Beast Boy, it's your night to do the dishes.' And with that the cape followed him once more, an unknown stalker, back to the room where newspapers belonged more on walls than paint, carpet also replaced with papers and files, and where a single mask stood king over it all. King of a room which was obsession.

He stepped along a path in the papers, which at first sight were messy but in truth were as neat as Batman's filing system. Picking up an article from his desk, he began to sift through it, always getting the feeling that he was sifting through sand for a small crystal gem, one that was only as big as a sand grain. These papers were public knowledge, but they had to hold some sort of clue as to what Slade was planning. It wasn't the law of sense; it was the law of hope. If you hoped something enough, then it had to come true, right? Right.

He looked through a different article, only stopping to gaze at an old file, one that was simply titled, 'PROBES' and shuddered. He looked at the door, but shook his head. He had to work now. He had to find Slade, and stop him, for the sake of the city. Picking up the file, he looked through it again, Slade's words echoing in his mind, '_Another day Robin, another day_.' It couldn't be, right? Slade was long gone, killed off by one of his apprentices. And what's dead stays dead, right? Right.

But his job absolutely reeked Slade. As little information on the criminal out as possible, only letting people know what he wanted them to know, it yelled Slade Influence. And there was always the possibility that Slade was alive, that he was back to pulling the strings, and that he had another person, more willing, perhaps, to pull the strings for him. That might be what that man had been.

Back to that man. He'd have to remember not to hit someone that hard, he could've sent the man to Davy Jones' locker, and that went against his oath and his morals. No killing. Simple, easy to remember. He'd just not hit him so hard next time.

He walked back through the path, back to the news papers, and that's when he saw it. EDALSLIVE.

'_Eventually, the constant_

_Drumming of Mr_

_Arikonia's power drill_

_Left Mr Hemmings with little_

_Solutions other than to evict him and_

_Let the apartment once more,_

_Igniting the fury of a_

_Very angry tenant who_

_Eventually sued, claiming breach of contract.'_

No…. It couldn't be. Could it? Slade live? As in _living?_ The lining was strange, that could point to the wording being specific, almost as if it were planted? Impossible. Slade kept a watch over people who worked for him, and no one would be able to fool him. But there was always the possibility, and all possibilities must be considered. Robin checked the date on the Newspaper, reading it at the 17th of July 2007. Today. Robin hadn't picked up a new newspaper, so… Had Starfire dropped it in? Most likely, either that or Raven.

He smiled as he headed out to the Titan's Photocopier, ready to copy the paper, not noticing the way that his window had been opened, or even the small camera watching him in the corner of the dark room.

Yes, the paper had indeed been placed in that room for a reason, but not by Starfire or Raven; by small mechanical arms that had put it down onto the stack meticulously, making it just right so as to seem a semblance of 'Normal'. As Robin went out to force the newspaper to submit to the eerie green Martian light of the photocopier, (_Ha, wouldn't it be funny if the Martian Manhunter could hear him now….),_ it snuck out of the window, prepared to give its master the new information. The paper had been received and Robin had figured out the message quite easily, as Slade had predicted.

Easily making its way down the side of the tower, the camera was picked up by a feminine hand, gloved in black, which held it up to a face of long black locks and eyes that could seem plain but at the same time express anger easily. Blood red lips smiled as the woman help up the camera to her face, placed it in her pocket, and dived for ocean, to the boat that was so inconspicuously hidden in the Titan's back yard that they had no clue of its existence.

Ariko flews through the air, and water for that matter, until the robots dragged her in to give her little prize to her master at his haunt. The mission had been successful, and the pair's honour redeemed, for now.

**A/N:**

Yay! 3 is DOWN for the COUNT! Mwahhah! I made BB do the dishes! Hoo-ah! Tell me if there are any probbies, and, oh, lemons alive. Oh, well, we'll name that dude next chapter, shall we:D

And, I got compared to food by a cool person, WHO REVIEWS (Hint Hint), and for a while I had food comparisons on the brain:D Whoops!

TTFN!

Oh, yeah. Can anyone tell yet that I don't particularly like photocopiers yet? At this W.E. place, they made me photocopy book after book after book, and I have the ability to magically break the photocopier, so, it's bad! Yup! It's bad! The only cool things the green light! It's awesome! And the Titans have a photocopier! They so must:D


	4. Chapter 4

C.C.C.- Helloooo! 'Waves'

**DISCLAIMER: Nah, but maybe the Get Backers could... nah...**

**Slade then Faust – ish**

He chuckled, the laughter barely travelling to his eyes as he ascended the staircase to the main floor. Time to visit the pair and tell them who to kill, what to steal, how to do it. Not that that the killing part entailed _tonight's _journey. No, no, no. Tonight would be a simple 'snatch and grab', as many of the pitiful wrecks that called themselves _villains_ now a-days would call it. To be honest, something that he only did around a 'special' few people, some of those morons couldn't even count. Fools.

He burst through the main doors, eye searching the room only to find it empty, the pair gone. _How… Annoying._ Why pay for assistants if they weren't going to be around him when he needed them? But then again, he wasn't exactly _paying_ them, so to speak. More like saving one and condemning the other.

He went into the hallway, still searching for the pair, and, luckily (if you could call what constantly seemed to surround Slade luck), spotted one. It was the boy, muttering words in a language which escaped Slade (an odd thing). He was doing something, and his mutterings refused to speak, going on as if Slade had never entered the room.

Walking briskly up to the boy, Slade stopped about a foot away, still staring down at him as he sat on the dirt floor of the hall. 'Boy...' was all that escaped the grated mask, immediately drawing the boy's attention, causing him to scrabble up onto his feet, staring at Slade with eye's like a frightened deer gazing at a car about to escort it to death. 'What is your name so that I may call upon you when I need you?'

'The people of mine each harbour three, one for the good, one for the hope, and one for the future, the strength to be. I am Faust Mitigo Reizo, but within my people I was always stated as 'Soother' for my birthright was that of healing truth and compassion.' He half-mumbled half-muttered, all the while trying to avoid looking into Slade's cold glass of an eye. At the last word he spared a look and his eyes widened, and a smile blossomed under the grate of Slade's mask, unseen to Faust, or 'Soother' as the girl and apparently his old _community_ called him. If you could call people who did that to a person a community. But it worked perfectly to aid Slade's plan, that was for sure, despite it all.

'Well, whatever your name just so happens to be, I happen to have a job for you. Fetch the girl and I shall show you what you are to do.' With that the large silhouette known as Slade, the Sladed Man to Faust, began to step once more down the hallway, starting to open the door, and that meant that it was going to close behind him-

'Wait, Sladed Man, what am I to do after I 'fetch' Ariko? What is it that you have planned for us?' Images flashed by Faust, ones of glass creating a dazzling array of shining stars, deadly one's though, falling with him into the sea and a cold 'hug' they called it here, water rushing into him, filling all voids of air that should not have been filled-

'You are going to attack the Teen Titans.'

--

**Robin**

Robin paced up and down the room, anger and impatience covering him like a fine glow. He had thought that he had struck gold with that article, and, for sure, it was – to some extent. Now he was back to _another _dead end, and how he _hated _dead ends. Usually the term became too literal for his liking, especially in Gotham.

He raked his hands through his gelled hair once again, a special recipe that he used just to make it defy gravity to such a degree. Another sigh, he would have to go to sleep soon, it was nearly 2 in the morning. The other Titans were asleep, that was obvious. He hadn't heard any sounds in the Tower other than Beast Boy's weird monkey toy thing… It was a wonder that Beast Boy didn't get any nightmares about it, with the amount of scary movies that he watched. Then again, Beast Boy slept like a log, and he had no doubt that if Beast Boy _could _turn into a log, then by all means he would when he slept.

Enough of Beast Boy and his sleeping patterns, he had work to do. His mind couldn't wander, not with the lives of people at stake. He had something, now, at least. The newspaper, but who was to say that that wasn't a blissfully ignorant coincidence? The wording, of course, that's who.

That was the thing with his work, something that he had learned after years of experience. There was always a chance, no matter how small, and, although it was as infuriating as _hell_, you couldn't make an assumption. Another little lesson from Slade, learned from his first encounter.

Then again, he was supposed to have learned to not obsess, so why was he awake at 2 in the morning-

_**BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!**_

The alarm, huh. What villain decided to call at two in the morning? That narrowed it down to someone who was most likely an insomniac and insane… Well, that didn't really _narrow it down_, so to speak…

Running into the living room, he got there first. Looking up the file on the main computer, the Robin Computer Beast Boy and Cyborg joked sometimes, he waited for the rest of the Titans, who arrived shortly.

'What is it?' came Raven's monotone, looking at him like it was no earlier than three-in-the-afternoon, calm and composed as usual. Beast Boy was being held up by Cyborg, who was apparently trying to wake him, and in the end opted for dropping a jug of water from the fridge onto him. This worked, evidently.

'Dude! I was trying to sleep-' A look around the room and he seemed to awaken, coming to just as Robin turned and began to leave, calling over his shoulder-

'It's that man again, he's attacking the city, an accomplice has been sighted, but there aren't enough sightings of the accomplice to be sure whether or not they're working together. Move out, it's at the town centre.'

C.C.C.- Once again, Sorry for any mistakes, or any little slip-ups when it comes to being out of character, and alll that load of fun.

I'm having a little competition with a friend, on who can write the most, so I may be trying just a _bit _more than normal to update nowadays... 4 V 1 Gemma, beat that. And I'll try and make it 5 tomorrow, so we'll see...

I don't like leaving this the way that it is, so I will most likely post tomorrow... Yeah, I'll try my darndest.

Oh, I kinda forgot what sound TTower makes when it goes all 'ZOMG! VILLAINS!'... So I went with 'Beep'.

Read and Review, it's the cool thing to do:D


	5. Chapter 5

C.C.C.: I return! 'Jumps in with a cape on' Right, now down to bus studs.

**DISCLAIMER: Jeez, if I did, wouldn't I have made a load of fanfictions from this site into episodes? Honestly, some people… :D**

--

**Faust**

He flew through the air, wind greeting him and trying to keep him with the sky, but only slowing his descent through the city. Ariko was laughing beside him, her eyes full of insane giddiness, making Faust slightly fearful of her in this state. She could become uncontrollable sometimes, and he wasn't aware of whether or not the Sladed Man could deal with her. Surely, though, the advances of these people into the realms of what they called med-e-cine, was better than that of the community?

But doubts are forever, and, as he looked at Ariko once again as they started to leap from rooftop to rooftop, he wondered whether she would lose her grasp on the last bit of insanity that she still had. He knew what would happen if that ever were to occur, and the thought wasn't as welcoming as some the houses that they passed by seemed. Losing his life wasn't something that he feared, but, Ariko losing the small fragments of her mind and him being unable to save her, help her, after what she did for him… Despite the fact that he hadn't wanted it, that was what he truly feared.

She touched his arm and he looked at her, surprised at how close they were. Her face seemed calm and he wondered if the Sladed Man had been 'slipping something into her drink', as they seemed to call it here. Her eyes seemed to show nothing, the emotions of merely a moment ago lost to the wind and air that was parting ways for them. As he glimpsed into her, he saw it, the thing that was hidden deep beneath all of the cracked sanity, demolished morals, the thing that made Ariko truly Ariko. The regret.

Then it was gone and they had arrived, the place of which the Sladed Man had mentioned, the place named after the things that pierce skin and were apparently hard to find in 'haystacks' in this country. The Needle.

Ariko slipped out two bombs from her belt, and casually dropped them upon the unsuspecting passer-by below them, watching in sadistic pleasure as they went off. People screamed, billowing dragon's breath spreading from where the Sladed Man's dark magic had stuck, and havoc reigned supreme.

Laughing as she did it, Ariko leapt over, black hair whipping out in the wind. She fell more than a book (Or was it a story?), then more than 6, until she planted her hand in the brick of the wall, plunged it deep in and ignored the brutal pain that had to be coursing through her hand. Faust followed, falling too, but instead of planting his hand in a wall, he merely landed in the form of wind, spreading out so that any damage never occurred.

Landing next to him, Ariko quieted as she turned around and heard:

'I think that those _toys _might be a bit too big for you, little girl.'

This spurred her laughter once again, and she turned to him, her mouth opening and tongue springing to life, 'Well then, my little proud one, come and greet the hands that handle such _fierce_ toys, and take them away from me, like a good little law abider.' With that, she leapt and began her attack on them, sparing them no time for thought or consideration of her strange statement.

Faust, considering his options, jumped at them too, though he didn't attack them as savagely as Ariko. The small ones seemed still young enough to be harboured safety from a parent, and he had no need for hurting those that did not deserve it.

He attacked the Green One first, watching in mild amusement as he took the shape of a great beast, and he smiled in blissful memory of the his community's tale about how the beast had acquired his stripes. It had fought and won so many battles, that the gods had felt the need to show it's victories over the generations, and had made it's stripes stand out black against the animal's warriors orange, granting the future generations a coat similar to show their ancestry, and how all of the animals of that breed were descended from such an amazing victor.

That thought over though, he struck.

--

**Beast Boy**

Beast Boy roared and ducked under the fist aimed at his Tiger's face, slashing out at the man, and, for the second time in merely a few days, felt the sting of Slade's technology on his claws. Man – that man knew how to shock someone.

He formed into a Raptor, instead, and went for the man's shoulder, bringing his teeth down upon the poor muscles. He felt the man squirm under his grasp, and while his thick vest protected him from damage from Beast Boy's teeth, the pressure would soon break the bone. He heard the man let loose a strangled scream, dulled by his mask and watched, almost as if in slow motion, as a fist came straight up to his face and slammed into his left eye. Pain searing through his skull, he let go, morphing back into human form and watched as Raven came after the man, preoccupied with the woman until that moment and threw a traffic meter at the man's ribs.

It looked like it hurt, too. He went flying a good ten feet, before getting up again and going after Raven. His fists went for her, aimed at her face, but she was too quick, and flew from each blow, backing away and picking up more objects and launching them at his face.

He dodged them, and Beast Boy became a ram, running at the man and slamming his horns at him, feeling them hit muscle, he pushed harder, but gained himself some attention from the man, feeling him grasp his horns and begin to throw him back. The man had both hands on a horn, now, and Beast Boy could do nothing but wonder in stunned fascination as the man began twirling him faster and faster until he hurled him at Raven, just as she was picking up more objects to hurl.

He let loose a snort, changed into a Gorilla, and decided to go for it with nothing but brute strength.

--

**Robin**

Robin threw a bird-a-rang at the girl, watching her smile and block it with some sort of wrist guard. She came at him, delivering punch after punch at his face, her eyes concentrated only on him. Then Starfire flew in and launched a Starbolt at her, gaining her attention. Cyborg aimed his Sonic Cannon at her and the blue light sprouted from his arms, catching her on her side after the distraction of Starfire's Starbolts. She flew from them, hurling bombs at Starfire, catching her off guard-

'STARFIRE!' His voice bellowed, fear for her sake widening his mask, and he ran to catch her, but was stopped by the woman.

'I am afraid, little proud one, that the damsel, so to speak, needs to be caught by another on this fateful night,' with that he watched as Cyborg looked at him and then ran to catch Star, getting her easily in his arms and giving Robin a look that she was fine.

'Now, now, little proud one, have you feelings for the one who's skin is so… out of this world?' She licked her lips as her body swayed left and right, eyes looking at him in an insane manner. Of course, he had to say, 'You're insane!'

'In the head and soul was what they said where I come from, my little proud one, but what is to say otherwise? What is to say for? Now, shall we pay the trees of this land a visit and allow your other friends to deal with mine?' She looked to her accomplice, who nodded under the mask and launched himself at Cyborg, and they began to fight, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven soon joining in, Starfire just recovering from the bombs.

With one last look at Robin the girl turned and fled, running down alleyways and going in the direction of the park, Robin following quickly behind her.

**A/N:**

C.C.C.: I think that that was longer than normal… O.o… Anyways, if you're wondering what happened to Censorship Man, he was hit by a moped (Inside joke, or not so inside if anyone's seen 'He loves me, He loves me not' in their French class recently…. O.o….)

Hope that you enjoyed, and:

**READ AND REVIEW! IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO:D**


	6. Chapter 6

C.C.C.: Couldn't keep ya hanging, so here:D

**DISCLAIMER: I do. I also own a jet, ride in a limo to school, have my own private chef, and pay people to write this stuff for me. No, honestly, I could never own anything like the above; it's too cool for my grasp 'sobs'.**

**Robin**

He ran after her, his steel-toe shoes clanking on the ground, until she stopped at the edge of some… plant. They must have been experimenting on plants, or releasing their rubbish into the wild, either way the forest surrounding it had an eerie gothic look. The trees towered from the ground, almost as if they had been given some plant-steroids, but their bark was stained a horrible black from the factory smoke, the leaves that should have adorned their branches as beautiful warm colours for this time of year nonexistent. The ground was soft, too soft, giving beneath his feet to show rot, and the darkness made the scene all the creepier.

'Well, well, so this is the famous one, the one that is so… required. Yet you seem so little, your frame is most certainly light… What have you done my little proud one? Have you frightened away friend and food for as long as my Master has even hinted of existence from the grave?' Her voice came through perfectly, but he couldn't spot her shape, and she was moving, that was for sure. He heard every other word come from a different part of the forest, almost as if she was moving around him, circling him.

He pressed his hand to his belt, feeling around for the compartment with the Bo staff in it, and was glad to once again feel its light weight in his hands. It made him feel all the more secure, knowing that he had a weapon at the ready.

'That small twig shall not add great protection, little proud one, the last time a man used one of those on me offensively I broke his neck with it. But then again, you are not a man are you? Boy…' her words seemed to pierce, aiming to hurt him, and it worked sufficiently. He felt hot blood rush to his cheeks, embarrassed at being called a boy, at being thought of as weak.

'Who are you working for?!' was the line that come from his mouth, as he searched once again for her presence, and thought he caught the glimpse of a body through the woods, but when he looked a second time he saw nothing but the blue and black of this strange chemically murdered place.

He heard a rustling, and then it was gone, but soon followed by a, 'Who am _I _working for? Why, the same man that _you_ are working for. Master Slade.' She had said it as though it was but a mere statement of fact, but he felt his gut churn at the thought. Slade alive again, wasn't a very good thing. Then again, the girl was clearly very insane, obvious through the way that she fought- 'I assure my little proud one, despite my state of sanity, or lack thereof, Master Slade is alive and well, and cannot _wait _to see his apprentice returned to him once and for _all._ She chuckled, the sound echoing off of the trees, and when it ended the place was only filled again with the lack of life and the sound of the chemical plant working away in the distance.

Then she struck. She came out from his right side, landing a blow to his ribs, blow after blow coming before he was allowed even a second to attack her with his Bo staff. He slammed it down on her shoulder, feeling a good crunch as her bones took damage, but her face remained that of insane happiness. She wasn't going to go down easily at all for him.

Laughing again, she took out a hidden blade from her forearm, a Chinese star, and with one swoop she had his Bo staff in two. His heart beating, he grabbed a bird-a-rang form his belt and joined it with another, causing his bird-a-blade to come to life. He slashed at her forearm, feeling the pad on it depress with his strength, and watched as she hissed and dropped the blade.

Glaring at him she hissed again, 'You little wretched thing, how dare you attack a woman of power that way?' She growled, low and long, and bent down to pick up a large stick, hurling it at him like a sword. It slammed into his chest again, and he groaned as he felt another rib break, and a bruise begin to form, swelling around his damaged rib cage.

She had lost her temper, and he saw with wide eyes that it meant for her being able to harm with out at all feeling pain of blow to herself, and he doubted whether she would stop even if he went as far to put a hole in her head, not like he would ever do that in the first place. It went against his moral code, defying the first rule: Do not kill.

He grabbed at her first this time, leaning in close to deliver an elbow to her abdomen, and that's when he heard it: someone was yelling in her ear. 'Ariko! Do not kill the boy, you stupid girl! I told you to keep him alive, not to murder him!' His eyes went wide again as he realised who it was: Slade.

She let loose another growl, still in his grasp and slammed a fist into his throat, making him fall backwards as the darkness came to him and allowed him rest from the battle. He watched her walk over to him, looking at him with once again sane eyes, bend down and whisper in his ear: 'I am sorry, little proud one, but we must continue our dance another day, my Master asks that I leave you be before I kill you. I do have my fun being spoiled, but Master is correct, I would kill you. Till we meet again, under the trees and black sky, my little one.' She dropped something on his chest, something light and airy, and he felt it, then a warm sensation on his chest and it was gone, Robin blacking out along with it.

--

**Cyborg**

They had beaten him, of course, before he had turned coward and ran away. Raven had hurled who knew how many objects at him and then he had turned and ran, after something on his wrist had beeped.

Cyborg still didn't know how he'd done it, especially when he seemed such an… average fighter. He possessed no powers, no special abilities, so why had he been able to fight so long? Cyborg shrugged, putting it down to sheer determination.

Now they were looking for Robin, tracking him with his communicator, which, after a scare in which Starfire had screamed, they realised to be still on. Thank goodness he hadn't turned it off like last time, otherwise they would be really freaking out.

He stepped on soft ground, Beast Boy making a face at its texture in his dog form, and Cyborg couldn't blame him. It was disgusting,

Walking along, they stopped at the edge of a small clearing, and he meant _small_. The place had to be a maximum of five square feet, terrible if Robin's fighter had led him here. He saw him, just barely trying to sit up, and ran to him.

'Yo! Robin! You okay, man?' He yelled, running up to his friend and leader. He looked at him closer, and was surprised. Not a single bruise, not even a broken nose. Jeez, had a criminal actually gone _easy_ on Robin? If so, why was he sitting up like that?

'I'm fine… the girl just got me bad, that is all. I think that I broke a few ribs… wait… they don't feel broken…' With that he felt for broken ribs, and looked up at Cyborg with a surprised look, narrowing his mask in thought. 'That's… weird…'

'Dude, you escaped a battle without any broken ribs, and, instead of being happy and alright with it, you question how you got off with no broken ribs? Man, you _are _Batman's kid.' That said, Robin frowned at him, and got up slowly, seeming a little shaky to Cyborg. Everyone else soon caught up with them, Starfire grabbing Robin from the ground and getting him in a tight enough hug to break his ribs. Cyborg grinned and said, 'See? Now you can have your broken ribs man, and they can be from a girl that you actually _like._'

Robin laughed as Cyborg raised his eyebrows humming a song about love. Beast Boy walked up with Raven, and he grinned before turning into a Raven, flapping about Raven's head for a while and then setting off for the tower after Starfire.

Robin, now released from Star's hug, walked over to Cyborg, and they got in the T-Car (not parked anywhere _near_ the forest, Cyborg didn't want any of the chemical stuff nearby to hurt his baby), and they drove off towards the Tower, Robin completely forgetting the feeling before he passed out, the warm feeling that had healed his ribs, his mind too engrossed in the whole 'Slade is alive' bit.

**A/N:**

C.C.C.: Bye bye! I'll try to update again tomorrow, and don't forget to review! I live off of reviews!!!

Hmm… I've got to find something else to do now… darn.

Oh, yeah. 6 V 1, GEMMA, C'MON! LET'S AT LEAST PUT UP A FIGHT:D

Not at all competitive, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

C.C.C.: Another, last minute, and short, so, my apologies. I'll do another tomorrow, unless something gargantuan comes up, not very likely.

Sorry for any mistakes.

Oh, yeah. Sorry about the typo in B.B.'s POV last chapter… Or was it two ago? Honestly, I can't remember time worth 5 pence. But, sorry, despite. That one just stood out like a sore thumb, so I had to apologise for it.

**DISCLAIMER THINGY-MAJIG: Nutty fudge-cakes I do… Jeez, I wish… Where's a magic lamp when you need one?**

--

**Robin**

'I'm telling you, it was broken! If anyone knows a broken rib, I know a broken rib!' He yelled, but was still ignored. Cyborg continued to whistle calmly and repair the car, at the same time using one of his hands to wax it, completely engrossed in his task. Robin, on the other hand, was not as happy merely allowing such an argument to _pass._ Arguments didn't just _pass_, unless people resolved them, and ignoring someone was most certainly not resolving an argument, contrary to Cyborg's apparent current belief.

'Man, I'm telling ya that I am sure that you _thought_ that it was broken, just as how I'm sure that you _thought _that it was Slade's voice on that line, but the facts show that it _isn't_ broken, and the voice on the line? That _wasn't_ Slade. Man, who knows how many guys in our line of work have a creepy, low voice. Dude, accept it, Slade's _dead_. There's no way at _all _that he could have escaped that lava, Terra made it virtually impossible.' Looking up from 'His Baby', Cyborg gave Robin a look of: _Man, it's over; accept it_, one that Robin couldn't quite take with utmost grace. Slade was alive, and he knew it.

'Yeah, dude, all the scans confirmed it; you haven't had any broken bones since that incident with Larry.' Beast boy said as he looked at Robin. Then, his eyes began to drift to the ceiling as he mumbled a: 'I wonder if Slade ever had a Larry…'

'Look, I know what I heard and felt. I am not a virgin to a broken bone, and I know how it feels, and especially when it comes to broken ribs! I know that I had a broken rib! And I know what I heard! With what you two are telling me you'd think that I was losing my mind!' His arms raised, he stormed from the room, not wanting to hear any more of the pair's constant, _He's dead. Get over it_. Especially when he'd _heard_ Slade, and knew Slade's voice! He wasn't dead!

But then again, maybe he was being a bit too over the top on this. There could be a chance… No. He knew his instincts, and they had read this whole event as SLADE, in capital black permanent marker ink. The newspaper and voice had just confirmed it.

But now that he knew… What was he to do about it?

--

**Slade**

His fist slammed into her skull, sending her reeling as she slid across the floor. She had felt her skull crack with that blow, felt the blood begin its journey through her lovely long black hair, swirling down the strands like ladders of protein, until they reached the ground triumphantly. He had no patience for disobeying orders, and needed to show her who was in charge and who gave the orders, even if it meant that she lost a little blood in the process.

She crashed to the ground, most ungraceful for someone who had acted so high to the boy, hands grasping at the hair around her wound, covering it from his fists. He towered over her, and bent down, lifting her up by her hair, not a problem, seeing as how its length had hindered her again in this small little bout with him.

She screamed as she felt him lift her up, demeaning her more, not even bringing her level to his face, merely gazing down at her again with that cold, apathetic eye. 'I told you to not to lose your temper,' each word was enunciated further with the malice and anger that was thrown into it, 'Yet after merely a few responses, you lost it, to a _teenage boy._ After all that I did to help, to make the fight easier on _your_ part, you do the one thing that I ordered you _not _to, and you almost killed him. Next time, Ariko, just one more slip up, and you'll be dead for good, and we're not just talking soul-wise like your little community.' He hissed as he dropped her to the ground, cold gray eye watching her fall calmly.

How dare she, how dare she, _HOW DARE SHE?! _The anger was bubbling brilliantly now, flowing freely, a river becoming an ocean of red-hot fury, one that Slade could have easily used to dispose of the girl, had it suited him.

But it didn't; sadly, the final phase of this part of the plan needed her. As soon as it was over, though, she and the boy who seemed to have such a disgustingly hindering _conscience, _of all things, would be as dead as the nails that would be put into their coffins. Not that it mattered to him whether or not they ended up in coffins, that is. He wasn't very partial to the state that their bodies would be treated in, and if they ended up nothing more than being fodder for the trees in Jump City woods, then so be it.

Now, though, was the time to act. And act he would. It was time to capture Robin and force him into apprenticeship, until he showed Slade both more ability and loyalty. The threat was in place, now it was time to single Robin out, and tell him the threat, after beating him into a more psychological position of submission, of course.

And who better to do that than someone completely insane, someone who knew the human mind almost as well as he did? Not that he was insane, of course. How could he be? Genius and insanity may border, but please, people nowadays called everyone insane, they obviously couldn't classify _his _level of intelligence as anything. Please.

Turning to the girl, 'Get up. It's time to enact the final stage of my plan. Get your companion; I have one more use of you yet…' Moving once more to the worktable, he placed the controller firmly upon his wrist, locking it in place as he smiled, Robin would pay for his disobedience, with a lifetime of servitude under his master until he learned to do what was… _needed _of him, and that was to serve his Master forever more.

He looked back once again, and saw that the girl, bloodied and yet still smiling insanely, seeming to have completely forgotten the beating that she had taken for her disobedience, with the boy, looking at the girl with eyes full of concern. That was something that was irrelevant, of course; soon they would both be dead and he could be concerned for his girlfriend in whatever hell his religion had.

Smiling under the mask, 'Now, this is what you're going to do…'

**A/N:**

Was it okay? Please review, I really wish I had more. That being said I can't thank the people that do review enough of how much I appreciate it.

Sorry, it's filler. I was thinking about evil plans again, and I remembered a brilliant Apprentice fic about where Slade had no Blackmail, and that made it the best blackmail… Brilliant!

But I didn't think of that so Neh. Plus, I thought that it was fun developing the whole blackmail and evil plottedness of it!

Oh, yeah. My mood? Soggy. It's wet. Just felt the urge to put that in. SOGGY SHOULD BE A MOOD!

Bye bye!

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO:D**


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry, no editing, strapped for time. Ten till the internet shuts off. Hope that you like.

**DISCLAIMER: No.**

**All**

They were sitting there, eating pizza as per the normal, and then it came. A bomb, flying through the window, now a mosaic of shattered safety, crashing down upon the table, planting itself in the granite. It flashed thrice, then erupted in a fireball, destroying the couch and throwing the Titans away, far away, sending them crashing into the walls, monitors, cabinets. Starfire screamed, feeling the flames licking her skin, yet leaving no trace other than the heat of hell, not burned but hot, _so _hot. Raven had crashed into the monitors, far enough away to not be harmed at all but to be shaken from the blow to her head. Cyborg and Beast Boy flew together, feeling the cabinets bend beneath their weight. Robin had soared, his centre position enabling him an easy journey to crash into the door, his back screaming with pain, left arm slamming into the hard metal.

They'd climbed in then, the girl cutting herself on the broken glass, and he saw the blood begin to trace its way down her skin, a new wound to add to the others. The male had entered next, his mask not portraying emotion, his eyes hidden. The Titans had just been rising then, groaning, when they'd attacked them. It was far more viscous than before; the attacks no longer play, instead well thought out and carried.

The girl had aimed a kick at Starfire's head, making her scream and Robin call her name in fright for her safety, as the girl's insane laughter filled the air once more. Robin had launched himself at her again, but she had grabbed at his foot when he had aimed it at her head, twirling around like some sick ballerina, and hurling him into the cabinets next to Raven. He crashed, breaking more monitors, his skull lighting on imaginary fire, then blackness for a few seconds until he regained consciousness. Raven was up, defending him as the boy continued to launch fist after fist at her.

Raven kept trying to say her words, her magical words, but when he spotted this he muttered a 'witch' under his breath and slammed his fist into her windpipe, a loud crack following.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were fighting the girl, Cyborg aiming his sonic cannon at her only to find her body sidling against his, some disturbing fighting skill, as she slipped another disk into his arm, _into his arm_, before slipping back to Beast Boy to slam her fist down upon his shoulder before lifting it up and setting her fist into a straight hand and ramming it upwards into his lower jaw. Cyborg's arm lit up, white light giving off the image of a photograph being taken, his eyes going wide as his right arm exploded, knocking him into a wall and causing him to lose consciousness.

Beast Boy roared at this and struck her with his fists, his body changing into a Raptor as he brought his teeth down upon her hand, biting through leather and making her scream, before her eyes erupted in anger and she took out a knife and slashed at his face, blood spewing forth-

Only to have Raven throw the girl's accomplice across the room at her, running to Beast Boy and immediately healing his open wound, and they both started towards the pair, now recovering from the blow delivered.

Starfire was with Robin, helping him up as he regained his head and body, and leaning on him for support at the same time. After a second's rest the pair launched themselves into battle, the whole fight taking place as far away from the passed out Cyborg as possible. At one point Starfire flew back to help Cyborg, to lift him from the danger and take him to another room where he could be safe. After she had done it and was coming back into the room the girl attacked from nowhere, sending a kick into Starfire's waist, causing it to jerk into an unnatural position-

And Robin was on her, slamming his Bo staff into her arm, yelling out a battle call as her defended Starfire, seeing stars she herself had not called. The girl laughed at him defending Starfire, calling out insults at him whenever possible – Weak, small, inexperienced, naïve – all of them volleying towards Robin, meant to hurt him and make him feel belittled, but this was _Starfire _and he couldn't just let her win, because she would hurt _Starfire, _and he couldn't _ever _let that happen.

Raven was throwing all things – utensils, pots, pans, cabinet doors – at him as he tried to attack her and Beast Boy, her objects dodging Beast Boy as much as possible but every now and then he would feel the sting of them, a hard cabinet in his shoulder, and as he looked at her, her eyes would fill with an unspoken apology, and she would resume and so would he. The boy was a good fighter, keeping Raven and Beast Boy on their toes constantly, until he upped the level. He took out a gun from his waist, and shot him – shot _Beast Boy_ – in the arm, turning to Raven as Beast Boy yelled and fell, her feet almost collapsing under her as she scooped him up and healed most of the wound, only a little bit left to heal, but thank Azar that it had stopped bleeding –

The gun slammed into her neck, her spine, just as she was about to finish the job, and the boy injected her with something, something that made her feel sleepy, causing her to collapse also and lose her eyes with the world.

He too turned to Robin now, watching Ariko with intensity in his eyes, making sure that her movements were correct. He joined the fight, feeling the young Titan's movements begin to become more aggressive, angry even, whilst his stayed collected and calm, hitting each spot with the intent to cause the most damage and pain.

Ariko was working too, and luckily for the boy the other fighters had been excellent and had tired them out enough to allow him a small chance of succeeding, but still a small one, and soon Ariko struck him in the correct spot, making him slump forward and watch as her feet stepped up in front of his head, listening to the air move around as her arms and voice told the boy something in some unknown language, and he was being picked up, slung over a shoulder and then the blackness swept over him, the tide of unconsciousness hitting him at last.

Starfire only regained her ability to see and know when they had him up, and could only sit and watch as they lifted him up and leapt from the main window, the girl looking at her and smiling with a smile that made fire leap into Starfire's heart, but she could do nothing but sit and watch as they took him away, away from her, the boy she _loved._

She groaned and collapsed again, her body slumping forwards, the challenge of sitting up too much.

The Titans had lost.

--

**Faust**

Robin was carried to a room with a single bed in the corner, a room that was furnished in a basic manner. He was set down upon the sheets, Slade coming in to see him and glaring at Faust, telling him to take him to the medical room. Faust obliged, pulling Robin up again and setting him down upon the table, leaving the room quickly as Slade patched up Robin's wounds.

As he began to walk down the halls back towards Ariko, he heard only but one word: 'Perfect…'

**A/N:**

Sidled is a better word, but hey.

Hope that you enjoyed, I just wondered why never a gun, but it was made for seven year olds so hey.

Bye bye.

8 V 1!

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO!**


	9. Chapter 9

Hello! Have fun! Review, please!

**DISCLAIMER: When I can fly like Superman, and fight crime like Batman, then I'll own Teen Titans. Not until then.**

**--**

**Robin**

Robin awoke in a room with dim lighting, on a bed that felt soft but firm at the same time. His head was pounding, making him wonder where they had hit him. Then he remembered more – the fight, Starfire getting hurt, heck, all of them getting hurt – and he groaned aloud, something that he would soon regret.

He sat up, feeling bandages around his chest where they had hit him, wondering why he was a captive with them. Surely it was better if they merely killed him off, but then again they may hold him for ransom, a thought that he did _not _like. Then again there was always the possibility, the technology resembled Slade's so well… Perhaps they were working for Slade?

That, then, made things worse. Slade was the last person on earth that he wanted to be the hostage of, and that included the Joker. It would be even worse still if he was still searching for an apprentice… No. Push the thought out of your mind and try to find a means of escape. He stood up, feeling the bandages against his chest once more, and walked to the other side of the room, feeling along the walls for something – anything – that would help him escape. He sighed, after searching for a few minutes. Nothing, no windows and only one door, and if that led straight into Slade then he surely wasn't going to take that one any time soon… He had nothing.

Sitting down again, he gave the room a closer examination. There was one door, yes, and a small bathroom to the side that had a shower, sink and toilet along with a few other toiletries, and in this room there was a bed and a side table. Curiosity growing, he opened up the drawer to find the one thing that he was dreading at the moment – an apprentice uniform.

This one resembled the last, with but a few details differing – instead of the annoying metal guards that had restricted his movements, there seemed to be a different kind of padding that was there to protect him, something firm yet flexible. He snorted. Maybe it was made with the same materials as the bed.

The good ol' 'S' was there, as menacing as ever, along with the mask with the pointed ends. He smiled, remembering something that Beast Boy had said after he had escaped from Slade's apprenticeship last time:

'_Dude, it was like so weird out there, seeing _you_ but at the same time fighting _you_. And that mask, man, Slade needs to put more effort into his masks, it looked like someone had just gone crazy with mascara and eye shadow on you at first. Hey – don't look at me like that, I didn't see the white of it until we got closer, and at the time I didn't even know that it was _you_, you know, _you_ you. My theory was that you were a mind controlled zombie or a robot.'_

He grinned again, smiling at the thought. Beast Boy really hadn't realised that the points were supposed to make it look more menacing, instead of some sort of comical amusement. He placed the clothes back into the drawer, still smiling when-

'I see that you are happier with the arrangements than I thought you would be, apprentice.' That cold eye looked down at him from the doorway, jeez, why hadn't he noticed that the door was open? The light spilling in through it made it so obvious… 'Good, perhaps you'll adjust faster than I had previous hoped if you seem to be happy with what's happening…'

He glared at the man, _that _man (Thing may be a better word, along with monster), and retorted, 'I'll never be happy being your apprentice, Slade, and I never will be, not again! You have nothing on me this time, I saw, those criminals didn't touch them more to do some damage, there's nothing that you can-'

'My dear boy, the dealings of the trick has already passed, and you yourself never noticed. Tell me, for curiosity's sake, how often does your green companion visit my old stone apprentice? He certainly hasn't been by very recently…' There seemed to be humour in his voice at this statement, and Robin glared at him, trying to work out in his mind what Slade had done.

'What did you do to her? I swear Slade if you did anything to hurt her-'

'Nothing, Robin, yet. Of course, if you accept the same terms as last time, _without a repeat of the disloyalty, _I will allow her to continue on in her pitiful life. Along with the whole population of Jump, that is. Because, Robin, this time, there is more at stake than a few heroes, than a few civilians, even, there's a whole city out there, that I hold no qualms over wiping off the face of this earth.' Near the end of his speech, his voice became as low as a whisper, his face close to Robin, before he stood up, his arms behind his back again, just like when he had made his appearance into the room. 'Remember that, Robin.'

With that he turned to leave, calling out behind him, 'Get changed and after that walk down the hall to your left, then walk into the first door. And Robin? I may be patient, but I have no time for people who keep me waiting longer than I desire.'

Robin's eyes were wide as he turned and began the task at hand, praying that the Titans were safe, and that they could stop Slade's plan soon enough.

**--**

**Cyborg**

His eyes opened, his systems turning on with a quiet 'Beep beep beep'. He was on his side, and using his remaining arm, propped himself up. Then he stood, wondering whether or not he had a spare arm in his room and why they hadn't just finished him off. Walking up to the twin doors, his hand on his head as the doors refused to open, he swore under his breath, and did something that he never really imagined himself doing. He kicked the door, where the dent was, and watched with relief as it opened to show him the destroyed living room.

Starfire, too, it seemed was regaining consciousness, her hands rubbing her head and mumbling something about 'Groknaars', and Raven was awake, bent over Beast Boy and by the looks of it, healing his wounds. He was telling some sort of lame joke, grinning weakly at her as she concentrated on healing the wound.

Walking up to the main terminal, the one that Robin always seemed to be stationed at, he pressed some keys quickly, checking to see if anything had happened in their absence, finding that luckily nothing had. Starfire had floated over to him, her normally orange skin showing faint purple bruises, something that he hadn't seen on her very often. Her eyes had asked the question before her mouth, but the words spilled for anyways, 'Friend Cyborg, have you any of the knowledge as to the whereabouts of Friend Robin?'

He looked at her, and found that he couldn't look her straight in the eyes, before coming out with a 'No, Star, but we'll find him.' Beast Boy and Raven had both come over, looking at him with looks of gloom, and they stared at the sunrise, all thinking the same thing: 'Where was Robin?'

A/N: I was going to put a bit in where Cyborg buggered off to find his arm (not in that phrasing, anyways), but I decided the sunset and question was cornier, therefore better. Someone else can explain how that works.

Please forgive me for the last chapter's lateness, I am sorry! And for any errors in it or this one, sorryness!

Anyways, I'm off to do something… Stuff-ish… Bye!

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO:D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hi! Same deal as last time! Bye! Sorry, no editing, may do it later, not time now!

**DISCLAIMER: I own… an FMA shirt, some Resident Evil books by S.D. Perry… A few shark posters, a hair dryer and a lamp, but not Teen Titans, sadly, it's the best of the lot really…**

--

**Robin**

He yanked the gloves on his hands, growling in fury, at Slade, at _himself_ for not being able to stop any of this, _yet. _He wouldn't take orders like this from Slade forever, that was for sure. At the first opportunity, at the first sign of safety for the people that Slade's threatening, he would strike, and make Slade suffer, for this, for everything that he had caused to the Titans, by throwing him in the one place that he had avoided this whole time: He was going to dump Slade in jail.

It didn't seem very dark, but he knew that it was the right thing, the thing that would differentiate the two with a broader line, because Slade probably would never just allow one of his enemies to be thrown in jail; no, chances were that he would kill them.

He practically slammed the belt around his waist, but didn't feel it give at all under the strength of his stupid actions. He wanted to inflict some damage onto something, and not just a belt, he wanted to inflict some damage onto Slade.

Stepping up to the door, he pushed it open, trying to calm down his temper a bit. Knowing that if he went into where ever he was supposed to go with a fist full of fury, he would only chance innocent lives and end up getting beaten up himself.

Sighing, he opened the door and walked in.

--

**Starfire**

She smiled up at her friend, but something about that smile made her seem sadder than if she had frowned. It was the absence of her usual amount of hope, of happiness that did it. It was that look in her eyes, the look that showed so much hurt, longing for someone who wasn't there.

Grasping her arm, she rubbed them together, and winced slightly as she ran her hands over the bruises subconsciously. They hurt; more so because of the fact that she wasn't used to bruises.

She looked up and watched Cyborg as he put in the last few adjustments to his arm, making the new one as perfect as the last was. Raven had finished healing Beast Boy and was walking over to her, setting her cool hands on her hot flesh, and Starfire gave another weak smile to her friend, as she felt the cooling of Raven's powers on her skin, the feeling of the bruises leaving her soothing.

Beast Boy was walking over to Cyborg, still a little stiff, and the first thing that he seemed to say was a joke to lighten the situation, a tone that Starfire knew well now because of their friendship. Cyborg looked up immediately, and a little of the lost hope returned to his eyes, and Starfire's for that matter.

Raven was looking her in the eye when she looked back to her friend, and as soon as she looked at her too, she felt a wave of hope wash over her as Raven said, 'We'll find him. I promise.' With Raven, who didn't usually say such words, it made it ring so much more true than it would with Beast Boy or Cyborg. The purple eyes looked at her still, and Starfire smiled once more before feeling her head fall upon Raven's shoulder and the tears come, only to have Raven's comforting hand on her back, telling her without words that it would all be all right.

--

**Faust** (Betcha nearly forgot about him (: )

He'd kept a watch one the boy, feeling sadness at his inability to help the child, but hoping if it were ever to arrive, that he and Ariko would help him to escape this place. The child wasn't old enough to suffer so, no one ever truly was, and the Sladed Man was a demon from the abyss of evil. Alas, even thinking of Ariko aiding though seemed too much of an optimistic thought for times like these.

He sighed as he felt the spark of his rebellion dwindle, and bowed his head in the shame of evil, and being unable to even assist the child from a deed of sinister means of which _he _had created.

There must be a way, relentless. There had to be, he must assist the child. There was only one solution though, to this madness. He would have to betray the Sladed Man.

And hope to get away with his life, whilst he was at it.

--

**Slade**

The boy came into the room, eyes downcast behind the mask, something that Slade knew from his facial expression. He didn't have the ability to look his master in the eye because of his humiliation.

Slade smiled behind the mask. It felt _good _to have Robin once again in his colours, his apprentice, his successor. Not that the boy thought that at the moment, though. He soon would, nonetheless, _very _soon.

Walking up to the boy, 'Good, you're on time. Let's hope this continues, or Jump may sprout a few more morgues…' He began to lead the boy down the hall, towards a room with a large stone door, and more dim lighting. He could almost _feel _Robin seethe behind him, and he smiled again. The boy _was _perfect.

As they stepped into the room, the light shut off abruptly, and one of his robots threw Robin a Bo staff.

'Well, apprentice, let's see what you've learned in the time when I have been… absent.'

--

**Robin**

He caught it, just barely. He'd heard the metal whizzing through the air second before it would have slammed into his face, and he would be cradling a broken nose. Thankfully, that didn't happen as he extended it and ran at Slade, raising the staff and hearing the resounding _**Clang! **_of it on Slade's staff, a feeling much alike hitting a wall.

Growling, he raised his staff again-

And felt the metal of Slade's hit his midsection, taking advantage of the second window that Robin had let him have, stupid, stupid, _stupid_-

And he raised his staff again, trying to hit Slade, but once again was answered with a clang, and Slade's voice lecturing over it, 'Good, Robin, but I'm afraid that brute strength wont work with me, as you've been trying. You'll have to be a bit more… _creative_, this time.'

Then Slade was gone, but he wasn't gone, Robin knew it, he was here somewhere-

A fist flying at his face, breaking a path through the air as Robin ducked away just in time, and he growled again. If Slade wanted creativity, then he'd _get _creativity. Robin flipped through the air, avoiding another punch, and even though all he could make out in the lighting was a large shape, slammed his metal-clad foot into Slade's mask, hearing the ringing as Slade stumbled backwards.

Not waiting for Slade to recover, he stepped forward and punched him again in the mask, wincing slightly as he felt his hand, just covered in a glove, hit the hard metal of Slade's mask.

Just as he was about to hit the mastermind again, he felt a blow come at him, an uppercut straight to his jaw- then he was flying backwards, feeling the ground greet him with it's solid glee. His head began to spin – it was a hard blow – and he groaned, and passed out.

--

**Slade**

Well, he wasn't expecting that. The boy had gained some points for creativity there that was for sure. But he was still too light to do any damage, made him wonder if he had starved himself obsessing over Slade or another criminal entirely. Most likely both.

Walking up to him, he cracked his neck and stared down at the boy. The blow was enough to make him pass out, and pass out he did, but not without fighting it a lot. His head was still shaking, meaning that perhaps he was _still _fighting it, but it didn't matter.

He gestured towards some of his robots, which came forward immediately, and turned to them before stating, 'Pick up the boy and take him to his room. Lock the door. Alert me when he wakes up.' Not conversational, but these were robots designed to do his bidding, they didn't require hour-long conversations about what to do, just a few orders.

He smiled again, quite a few times too many for one day. Robin had improved, just a notch, but all the same, that meant that Robin was better than what he had expected. His smile never left his face.

He felt proud.

**A/N:**

Don't kill me! I said that I tend to have trouble with characters that aren't my own.

And Faust is plotting… O.o shall we see what happens?

And now, the reason for the mass updating: I was challenged, and… DUN DUN DUN! I am going away in a day, but I will try to write tomorrow! Sorry, I'll be gone for a week but then I shall try to mass update more. :D

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO:D**


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: Nope.**

**C.C.C.- **Sorry that I have been gone for ages. I got back a little while ago and spent the night at a friends last night (Where they bloody nicked my pillow Rar!), so I haven't been writing loads. Sorry! I would have written the day before that but planes do me in, so I was UUUUUNNNNG!-ish. Enjoy!

**Slade**

Looking at the monitors, Slade smirked. The boy was his, under his control, now his apprentice, and this time, _this _time, he wouldn't let a stupid mistake like allowing the boy's friends to find him by way of transmitter. This time they weren't going to interfere with his plans, although he doubted that Robin would be able to avoid them. He had thought at first that the best was to force Robin to keep away from them and under his influence only, but now he knew. Robin had to meet them, one last time, and in doing so he would pick up the last piece of technology that Slade needed before leaving Jump.

Of course, it was impossible to rob a company when you were unconscious, doubtless of the fact that Luthor sometimes seemed to be able to do it.

So he would have to wait, not wanting to awaken Robin when he was still weak. He lined up the weapons for the boy (only a few simple ones were allowed, he wasn't to have the _privilege _of the usual weaponry that came with working for Slade), and walked back to his chair, another high-backed wonder that no doubt people would comment on as being a boost to his ego. As if he would be so stupid as to get cocky.

He would wait for Robin to awaken, and then send him out to pay a visit to his… _friends._

--

**Ariko**

She licked her lips. They tasted… like lips. A wonder… if lips were caked in blood, did they still taste like lips? Something that must be delved into for further research.

_Baby-sitting_, that's the term that they used over here… Why she should have to _baby-sit _someone beyond the term of infancy was beyond Ariko. Yet this was Master Slade's will, and his will was law to her.

Another lick. She was waiting now, the impatience in her growing with every moment. Why couldn't that _brat _awaken already? She was so _bored_, and all that he seemed to do was _sleep._

Her foot began to tap impatiently on the ground, causing Master Slade to give her what these people called _a look._ She didn't quite understand that – feelings weren't her forte… Fighting was. It was a dance… a beautiful and deadly one that made it all the more _fun_ to her. And just looking at someone wasn't fun. It was _boring._

She stopped the tapping, groaning as she looked at a monitor that showed whether or not the _brat _was awake yet. He wasn't. Another thought: Would Master Slade _really _mind if she woke him up? …Surely not…

Though she shouldn't chance it. It was… _risqué… _Or was the word _risky? _Didn't matter, the meanings were probably the same anyway. She groaned. This was so _boring._

Her foot began tapping again.

--

**Cyborg**

Cyborg searched. And searched. And searched what he had already searched. Still the search and the search of the places that he had already searched proved fruitless, something that annoyed him beyond what many would assume.

He tapped the keys again, running the search into wider areas. No trace. Whoever had taken Robin – those weirdoes who fought like maniacs (He still hadn't forgotten about that girl's trick with his arm) – they had done it well. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if Robin had actually managed to be taken into a spaceship with the pair and be on the moon being tortured.

The odds weren't for that though – there was a traffic stop outside of jump for some strange governmental reason, and that meant that everyone's cars were being stopped to have a highway officer look them in the face and ask them questions, and no doubt if they saw Robin they would call the Titans. The sewers were under surveillance – and the airport. The bay, too. There were somewhere in the City, unless they took a run through the forests – another thing that he wouldn't put past a girl who put a bomb in his arm.

Another tap at the keys. Nothing. Nothing. The world seemed to be just _operating _on nothing today. Nothing was also very, very annoying.

Beast Boy walked in, smelling of water from the sewers – yes, they had sent a man (or beast, he didn't know which for he had taken, although he was guessing a fish) down, and still come up with a great big, bold **NADA**.

Looking up, he saw Beast Boy's worried expression, and felt it too.

Where in the _hell _was Robin?

--

**Beast Boy**

He looked at Cy, and could tell by his face that they had bubcus. It was almost a day already, something like 18 hours or so, and they still didn't know where Robin was. They didn't know if they had time or not either – the evil guys could have already tried to leave town, and they wouldn't know. They _had _to find out where Robin was.

It would seem, though, that that wasn't as hard as it seemed, for the alarms were blaring, and there was a good chance that it could be the people who had abducted Robin.

He turned and ran out of the door with Cy to go and find out.

--

**Robin**

He'd woken up and gone down the same route, only to find Slade waiting with a bunch of weapons for him. Not that he was allowed them until he had had a lecture from Slade about what he was supposed to do. That man just seemed to _adore _lecturing him.

He had a belt strapped around his waist now, and he was leaping on the rooftops toward his destination. No matter how many times he seemed to reiterate the fact that he didn't want to be Slade's _apprentice _(the word seemed so vile sometimes), the damned man never seemed to listen. And he was damned – no doubt that any religious person would guarantee that Slade has his own _special _part of hell, one where he got to rot all on his mascara-masked lonesome.

Another leap. Another rooftop, and he was getting closer now, smelling the fumes of the city, the cold night air tearing through his hair, now without 'Cement Gel', as Cy had once so elegantly put.

He could hear the cheap roofing beneath his boots, and then he was on another building, soaring through the sky, landing perfectly. He glanced up and sighed. The fun was over, if anything to do with Slade could be called _fun,_ and it was time to do the unthinkable.

It was time to rob his surrogate father, and fight down his friends doing it.

--

**Faust**

The Sladed Man had an obsession with the building called 'Wayne Enterprises', for he seemed to be keeping quite a lot of tabs on it. Faust had no reason as to why, but he did.

He seemed to be ordering the child to do something with the building, for the boy was outside of it looking at it with a look of sadness upon his face that didn't belong. Perhaps the Sladed Man wanted some of the magic that was kept inside, like the stick that could shoot fire? But had he not those objects already?

Certainly he would, he had given Ariko some of the objects like that before she had left, just as what the people of this land called a _precaution._

Yet there the child was, so certainly he would be going in for a magical object?

Of course. And it had no matter, for he must return to the track of thoughts, and resume his thinking on how to save the child from a fate terrible.

Yes, back on the track.

--

**Starfire**

She saw him leap for the roof, quite a long time before the others, and felt something inside of her sadden a little as she watched the boy she loved once again doing something that was so… Not Robin.

He was breaking into something… and needed her help.

And help she would give, she would save him no matter what.

--

**Ariko**

The boy took _forever _on the rooftops, her eyes watching from the _baby-sitting _position, but she had watched vigilantly, for what she knew not, but she had watched all the same. He was slow, taking more joy out of doing flips and jumps from the rooftops than actually feeling the speed and the wonder of falling without knowing.

That was something that she knew much about.

She had watched, and was watching him now, keeping an eye on his movements as he leapt for the Wayne Enterprises building.

A smile, and she leapt too, falling gracefully through the sky, landing without him noticing. She looked up at the building, and saw the Titans in wait.

She smiled.

--

**C.C.C.- **Ariko is fun to write! Excuse the way that I wrote her, it was meant to be like that.

Sorry, not loads of editing, but I'll try to soon:D Bye bye!

Oh, yeah, I haven't updated in AGES, yet still 11 V 1! 11 V 1!!

Small celebration over. Insanity reigns again.

It's been a while since I put this, so here it is: Till the moon shines above and the stars glimmer a fantasy, C.C.C.:D Have a Rad day!


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I don't think sooooo…**

**C.C.C.: Sorry for any mistakes and shortness! On with the story:D**

**--**

**Starfire**

She didn't tell them about Robin. She had kept that one to herself, not wanting them to strike him immediately, a small hope inside of her that was fast dwindling still hoping that he would turn to them again and join her. But such was not to be, and she sighed as she felt the hope burn out, and the Titans look around for the thief.

Her Robin was the thief though, and it was hurting so much to see him do that again… So much.

Soon the alarms were blaring, screaming at them, yelling for their help. The Titans were in action, moving quickly, Cyborg scanning the place for the thief, _Robin_. He soon found him, running away with whatever Robin was stealing in his arms. She almost broke down and cried then and there, the emotions filling her up to the brim – and she held them down, feeling only the choke of a sob lost, and Raven's curious look at her.

They were soon chasing him, his identity unbeknownst to the others, but she knew that Raven had a hint of knowledge from the frown plastered across her pale features.

Robin had stopped after a short while, turning around slowly almost as if he didn't want to, and looking at them with a frown across his face.

And, almost as if the past were recurring, 'That's not a thief… That's…'

'Robin...' She finished, the words hanging in the air with a sadness circling them.

--

**Robin**

He wanted to beat Slade to an inch of his life. And then he wanted to cross that inch. But first he would have to get through this ordeal. That meant fighting his team. _His _team.

Beast Boy just stood there and blinked for a while. Cyborg frowned, his one eye pleading with Robin. Raven looked… Shattered really, like she hadn't been getting any sleep at all. Starfire looked… Heartbroken? It was like looking at people that were in a trance, and he felt that he was in one also. Then Cyborg was out of it, charging forward and yelling out 'Titans, GO!'. The very battle call that they had all picked out _together, _and now it was being used against _him_.

Beast Boy seemed to break free next, followed quickly by Raven, but Starfire seemed to linger a few seconds longer, almost pleading with to turn back time. And how he wished that he could. He wished that he had never heard of Slade, and that it was back when the Titans were just formed. He wished that it hadn't been _him._ That someone else had heard of Slade and someone else had, as Beast Boy had so calmly put, 'obsessed'.

The moment that he had though it, though, he had regretted it. That was something that you never wished for, never never never.

He was fighting again, his fist slamming into Cyborg and pushing the Man of Metal back a few inches before Cy aimed another hit at his head. He was dodging Beast Boy's attack, and ducking under the pole that Raven had sent at his midsection, only to go up to fight once more and look at Starfire and see her hand, her beautiful tanned hand, being raised back, there would be no time to dodge it – something inside of him swelled with relief at that thought – going beautiful green as a Starbolt swelled on it, Raven was grabbing Beast Boy and Cyborg with her powers, the Starbolt was getting _massive_-

Something flew out into the clear Jump City night, slamming itself into Starfire's ribcage, sending her hurling from the sky, down through the air, and Robin looked around for the source, only to watch someone dart behind a building, and with a yell he was after that someone, leaving Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy to aid Starfire.

--

**The Teen Titans (Remaining four)**

They had all seen it. Starfire's graceful descent from the sky of that city that she so loved, down towards the gruesome asphalt that awaited her should she fall. Raven had ran to catch her with her powers, Cyborg running down the staircases of their present building, Beast Boy flying past Raven, all with the same objective: Get Starfire to safety.

Beast Boy had soared beneath her, becoming a pterodactyl and begininning to flap his wings under her weight, but he didn't have enough time: the ground would greet them soon, too soon.

Raven had gathered up her dark energy, creating a disk that slowed Beast Boy's and Starfire's descent even more, allowing them to fall to the ground slow enough for Cyborg to catch Star whilst Beast Boy collapsed onto the ground.

They all looked back up towards the building, eyes searching, for a dark silhouette of a boy that was too skinny and small for his age, but finding none. Their Robin was gone.

--

**Ariko**

It had been boring. Until the end, that is. The girl seemed to have stunned the boy somehow, most likely with her figure – the brat seemed a might… strange about her. Ariko had taken much pleasure in hurling the disk at her and watching her graceful descent to the ground.

Of course she had been observing this a bit too happily, as the child had turned and ran towards her, seeing her silhouette disappear behind the building. She sighed and began walking back towards her Master's haunt.

He ran towards her, aiming a fist at her head – why wouldn't the little one learn?

'Why?! Why did you do that? She could have died!!' The words were practically spat from his mouth, the disrespectful little-

'That, I believe, was the point, little proud one. You must learn to not succumb to a Harpy's call. Especially one that you seem to be' –the word was caked in disgust- 'As they say _madly _in love with. Your loyalties are now with Master Slade, not the Brats.'

He stared at her, his eyes wide, then turning defiant, 'My loyalty will never be with Slade, it will always be with them, my _friends_-'

'And that, Robin, is why I shall always control you. Because you associate yourself with the weak links such as the Teen Titans, and are loyal to _them_, when you could be loyal to _me_ and be so much more.' Master Slade was here now, and she smiled, an eerie, entranced smile, as Robin grimaced.

He was walking up to the boy now, looking down at him with his amazing, piercing eye, the eye that Ariko had sensed power in from the start, 'Remember that Robin. Although soon, I do believe that you shall change your loyalties, with _persuasion_, of course.'

It was the boy's turn to speak again, looking up at her Master with a defiance that she wanted to beat out of him, the little brat, 'Never Slade, never. I will never be loyal to you, no matter _what._ My loyalties will always lie with my friends.'

'So you say my boy, so you say…' He looked at her, and then the boy, taking the package from the boy's arms and examining it. She doubted that the boy even knew what he had stolen, and he still had the nerve to _defy _her _Master_. 'Good, Robin, good…' He smiled, and she smiled with him, 'Now, return to the Haunt and your room…' His eye narrowed, 'Or else.'

Little Proud One seemed to wish to debate that matter, but her Master's eye narrowed and he went off without another word, leaving her with her Master.

He looked up at her, his eye narrowing in disgust, 'Girl, next time I tell you to only interfere when necessary, _only interfere when necessary_. Another stupid mistake like that and you'll find you yourself with a hole in your head, and poison in your stomach. Now begin to prepare to move out girl, I want you ready with the Robots in the morning.' He looked down at the package once more, a smile playing into his eye, at what she guess was managing to get the boy to do his bidding, and then he looked up at her and she was in motion, beginning her preparations.

They were moving out.

--

**C.C.C**.: Argh, I made Ariko all the more annoying. Oh well. See you tomorrow! Or rather… something tomorrow:D

Bye bye!


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: Err… No…**

**C.C.C. – **Sorry, little editing, so if you like tell me if they're that bad. I've got homeworkey stuff to do too, but I'm putting that off a lot, so, I think that I'll update tomorrow… :D

Sorry 'bout the delay.

**Quick question… Should I up the rating? Some language.**

**--**

**Robin**

He slammed his hand into the bedspread. He was furious. _Slade_… He wasn't a man; he was a beast, _hell_, a monster from the deepest, hottest depths of hell.

A growl. He didn't quite know what was happening, but he had stayed long enough behind lingering next to a large object (he didn't know what that object _was_, too) and listened to the remaining conversation, well, he _did_, that was, until Slade had glanced his way and looked right _at him. _That was probably a way to drive someone insane… just get Slade in and have him glare at you enough. Of course, it didn't affect Robin like that… No, it just filled him with blind fury and hate.

Oh, _damn it!_ He never seemed to be able to concentrate in this room… It was like there was something… something in the air…

He shot up, looking around. 'Something… in… the… air…' No wonder. Slade probably didn't want him making up escape plans before they left, so he may have put a drug in the air, slight enough to not affect Robin's train of thought fully (to the point where he would be passed out on the floor drooling), but enough to throw him off guard so that he was unable to keep a good train of thought…

So… the vents? He walked over to the air vent, grabbing a chair from the room's corner to stand on and put his ear to the vent, listening. No hiss, no sounds at all that would show that there was a drug… How strange… But perhaps Slade only used one vent?

He dragged the chair over to the other vent in the room, cursing under his breath about his lack of height, no doubt that Cyborg could be vent high in an instant. Stepping up onto the chair again, he listened, and heard nothing. Oddly enough, his thought train was clearing, too. Had Slade stopped filtering in the drug?

Walking over to the bed, he sat down upon it again, sighing. That could mean that he had already had enough of a dosage… but that didn't explain why he was able to think more clearly now… How strange…

Then he began to feel it again, a feeling like a slick coating over his brain that seemed to break his concentration… getting down on the floor, he looked under the bed… And saw and heard nothing. It was just a bed. He dragged the bed out, looking for another vent that might have been concealed by the mattress… And nothing. He didn't even bother putting the bed back. If it angered Slade for some reason (one that he couldn't conceive), then his job would be done.

Sitting on the bed again, he glanced about the room… There didn't seem to be any other bits that would allow for the drug to circulate, and it only seemed to be around the bed…

Then it clicked. Getting down on his knees, he lifted up the mattress, and lo and behold, the little bag of smelly stuff that seemed to be breaking his concentration. Picking the little bag up, he swore and dropped it. It was… _wet_. One of Slade's robots must have doused the bed in… _something_…

Disgusting… Absolutely disgusting… He looked at the little bag from where he'd dropped it, and… Kicked it. He didn't want to touch that thing again. He wiped his hands on his uniform, and looked up again at the little bag. Well, the bed still smelt a bit like the stuff, still making his head foggy. He muttered things under his breath about a certain one-eyed orange masked man as he dragged the chair over to a corner and sat on it.

Holy spaghetti O's, this was going to be a fun night.

Then he heard the door open.

--

**Ariko then Faust**

She kicked one of the metal men, earning herself a look of warning from Soother. Snarling at him, 'Silence, Soother, Master Slade is using me for petty work. I haven't even been able to _kill _anyone as of yet! It is disturbing to the mind…' With that said she collapsed upon a box, holding her head and rocking back and forth whilst sobbing.

Soother stepped up to her, his look of concern sickeningly weak. He took a step closer, causing Ariko to lash out. She hissed at him, making him retract the hand that had drawn out to comfort her. A predatory smile played itself across her lips, and she cackled, leaning her head back and singing her laughter to the sky that was above the haunt.

Leaning her head once again on her knees, she looked up at him with a sadistic grin blooming across her lips, 'Soother, my little punished love, why try you to aid me? You know that I will only turn you away and bite the hand that helps…' Her eyes locked onto his, reaching out to her with her vision. They were furious, hot, and insane. She was losing her mind; her whole body was shaking.

'Ariko… Be calm. Your senses drift farther and farther away with the business of the Sladed Man. Ariko… it is not right. We must put an end to this matter of horrid wrongs, of hated dealings. They are against all that it good and correct; they are the workings of an evil madman.' He bent down to her, taking her hand in his own and rubbing it, in hopes of calming her, _soothing_ her. But she yanked it away and hissed again, her eyes stubborn and angry still.

'You _dare _defy Master Slade? Soother, loving soul and weak mortal, should you ever, _ever_ try to betray Master Slade, I will rip your skin off of you flesh and give it to demons for their supper, and then I shall burn your body. You will be sent to the fires of death with swift wings.' She had risen when she had started talking, her eyes locked on his and her voice low, steady, as if talking to a child. Her steps had been slow, walking towards him with a look of playfulness that seemed extremely sadistic, causing him to back up, a worried frown on his face.

'Ariko… You are becoming worse in your condition-'

'I HAVE NO CONDITION!' the scream was loud, high pitched and she'd lunged for him as she yelled it, grabbing a fist of the material of his suit, laughing as the Sladed Man's 'electricity' magic flowed through her, and collapsing on him, giggling.

He looked down upon her, pity in his eyes, watching her face and seeing the smile that never should have been. She smiled as she locked eyes with him and said, 'Soother, how the times of the past are gone, and the ones of future seem so… deadly…' With a last laugh, she passed out.

He picked her up, putting her on his shoulder and setting her down on the seat of the boat that they were using. He buckled her in, a bad memory of what had happened on his first mission for the Sladed Man coming to mind. He turned to the metal men, signalling for them to upload the last boxes to the boat. He had no idea where the men who rowed the boat sat, for the object was sleek, with a rudder in the middle of it from the looks of it; there was the wheel of which the metal men turned to change direction.

He sat down just as the Sladed Man came in, looking at Ariko with his eye narrowing. He went into the boat, opening a door and directing two of the metal men out. He paid no attention to Faust. The door shut, and Faust sat back, waiting.

He didn't know how true Ariko's statement was at the time.

--

**Cyborg**

Cyborg drove, his mouth a line as he hoped that Robin would be there. There had been another robbery reported, one at another tech warehouse. They were on their way now, breaking speed limits galore, Beast Boy with him and the girls flying as fast as the car.

He stopped outside of the warehouse, running in, his feet hammering on the ground. He turned quickly, looking around for the thief. He spotted the blur quite quickly, and Starfire shot through the air, seeing it when he did, going to the thief calling out, 'Robin, I am joyous that you are-'

When her voice stopped, that had been when he was the most scared. He had been so afraid, not that Robin had attacked her, but that something, the thing that was controlling Robin, had killed her. He found himself gearing up for the terrible _thud_ as her body hit the ground, the look that he would see of her eyes wide, lifeless-

'You are not Robin,' immediately he was relieved, but as soon as he realised what she had said he felt his stomach twist. This wasn't Robin… And if it wasn't Robin, who was it?

He ran over to where she was, already seeing Beast Boy and Raven there too, and looked at the thief. 'Sorry kiddies, but I'm not your leader.' He picked up the object that he was taking, and turned to Starfire again, 'But you may want to watch the sea for a little while, babe.' With that the Xenothium had given him flight, and he was gone, leaving Starfire staring at where he was. Raven had flown over to the box and read the label, stating, 'The belt. Robin hid it, and he said that he'd move it every now and then. X must have found out where it was because Robin wasn't here to move it.'

Beast Boy looked melancholy at that, and Starfire seemed to choke out a sob. Cyborg looked away.

'We have to go back to the Tower. X may have actually said something worth hearing with the sea statement. C'mon, guys.' Cyborg started back to the car, Raven, BB and Star following him.

Time to watch the sea.

--

**Robin then Slade**

Robin had turned his head as the door had opened, and saw Slade standing there. His eye had narrowed on the bag, his head swinging to Robin. 'I see that you have found my… present. But it doesn't matter. Come now, we are leaving this wretch of a city.'

Robin's mouth had fallen open. 'What?!' was all that he could muster, his eyes wide. 'We're leaving Jump?'

Slade had begun walking from the room, his hand gesturing for Robin to follow. 'Yes… I don't want your _pathetic _friends to take you away from _the best_ again…'

He had begun walking quickly, his strides long and Robin was beginning to have trouble keeping up with him.

'But… You can't! I mean…' Thoughts of the Titans had come to his mind, and that if he left Jump then he'd be leaving _them. _

Slade's eye had narrowed at that. I _can_, and I _will._ And you will come too, _young man_, unless you would like your friends and the pathetic city of Jump destroyed.'

Robin had kept walking after Slade, his eyes on the ground until he had bumped into the man by accident. He stumbled back, getting a glare from Slade that said in an annoyingly parental way _pay attention_, and saw some of Slade's robots come out. One threw something at his head, the object flying at him, and Robin caught it.

He saw Slade watching him before he realised his mistake. The object, circular, had a needle come out of it and inject something into him. He instantly began to feel drowsy. Dropping the ball, Robin began to fall, only to be caught by Slade as he was claimed by sleep. Handing him over to the robot, Slade picked up the ball, and handed it to another robot.

'Load him onto the boat. I'll be with you shortly.' He turned and began walking to the main control room, passing Ariko and Faust on their way to begin monitoring the robots loading the boxes.

--

**C.CC.** - Holy rusted metal, she's gone slightly linear!!! 'Gasps'

Lolz, hey guys. Sorry about the delay. I was camping at fire starter festival with a load of friends. I'm back a day early though! We were rained out… :D

Gahaha, Slade, Slade, Slade… Shame! Being mean like that… it's just not nice.

I had to put in that bit with the Holy Spaghetti O's… just had to. Saw the Batman and Robin movie ages back and thought, jeez, Robin, make some sense! So made that up and finally could use it! Woohooo!

Right, it's a bit longer than normal, because I was away and felt that giving it a normal length would be horridly cruel and I couldn't do that.

Right, I was planning to end it this chapter but then I realised that it would be too long and I couldn't be bothered! So just a normal chapter…. Yup, I'm a meanie!

If I get loads of reviews, I just may update with this length all of the time:D

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO!**


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: Aw, shucks, I didn't think that you thought that much of little ol' me…**

**C.C.C.: **Sorry, little editing. Gotta go.

**--**

**Robin**

He was… groggy. There was no other way of putting it. His head felt sluggish, worse than with the pouch. He couldn't lift his arms, no doubt an after affect of the drug.

He groaned, moving his head to the side. It hurt, quite a lot. Just that small movement had caused him to become nauseous.

Opening his eyes, he looked around. He was in a boat… a small boat. Or was it just the inside of a boat? Either way, the movement was making him ill thanks to the drug.

Slade had noticed. Damn. He was looking at him now… bringing something over. It was… fuzzy. Hell, everything was fuzzy. What did it matter if what Slade was bringing over was fuzzy too? Even Slade was fuzzy…

Try to focus… What did he have? He felt a prick… A needle.

Slade was talking. Robin could hear him, but it was like listening to a foreign language that he didn't know (C.C.C.- I get that in my French class sometimes… XD), he could hear it, but his mind was too sluggish to understand it. Then he felt his eyes growing heavy, and, he fell into the arms of rest once more.

**--**

**Slade**

The boy had fought it, and woken up too early. It had been… annoying. Yet it only proved further that Robin was the worthy one. He was the only one worthy of Slade's training and the skills that he would pass onto his successor.

After telling Robin that he needed more rest, _now_ (though he'd be surprised if Robin had understood him), Slade had injected him with some more solution. Robin had passed out quickly, slumping forward into the straps that he was buckled into on the boat. Slade stood up quickly, knowing that the second dosage would keep Robin sedated for a while longer, and stepped up the stairs to where the deck was.

He walked through and felt the cool night wind blow against his suit, and looked about for his two servants. They were there, strapped in, the girl staring off into space, and the boy looking directly at Slade.

_How very insolent of him_, he thought as he walked across the deck, making sure that the boxes were secure.

'We may have a visit from the Titans, and I want you to kill them if possible, but capture the alien girl.' _She would be a successful blackmail… _The girl's attention was on him now, the eyes just slightly too wide, her face tense. No doubt her sanity was at its brink.

He would have to get rid of them soon. At the first sign of the boy's inevitable disloyalty, he would turn the girl on the boy. It would be convenient if both of them died, but if one lived then they should be easy to dispose of in their weakened state. He couldn't have someone who was either mentally unstable or disloyal to him being his servant. He didn't want another Terra fiasco…

Not that Robin counted on that rule. The boy would surely bend if enough stress was put across his small shoulders, and break. Then he would be put back together into perfection. His hero-life was over.

He opened the door and walked back down the stairs. There was a glowing console where he could access cameras of the bay, and it seemed that Titan's Tower was lit up brightly enough to light up the whole bay. Perhaps they knew of his little escape.

Not likely.

**--**

**Raven**

Raven looked over the top of her book at them. They weren't calm or relaxed at all. She could feel their emotions soaring through the air, a whirlwind of themselves, all flying at _her_. And she couldn't stop it. She wasn't like Beast Boy or Starfire. She couldn't turn hers off.

Starfire was the worst. Her constant worrying and the waves that Raven had to keep sending out to calm her down at least a little were slowly draining her of everything. It was… tiring.

Cyborg hadn't left the monitor since their tip-off. They were all waiting for the news of where Robin was, and she hadn't felt any of them feel relieved in the least bit. They wouldn't, though, she knew, until Robin was back with them safe and sound.

And whoever had him wasn't helping.

That's when they heard it. An unregistered craft on the edge of their radar. One that was a large boat, but not oversized. As Beast Boy was saying, it was 'Slade-Style'.

_Time to leave again_, she thought as she put her book down and flew out the door.

**--**

**Faust**

He was waiting for the Titans. That was when he would betray the Sladed Man. When the Titans appeared.

He had only heard of their calling of title recently, when the Sladed Man had said it. But that didn't matter now. He had to wait for them.

Then, when they were going to fight the Sladed Man, he would join them and hope that Ariko would too. But something told him that would never happen. His people were of hope, though, so he would never give up on that thought, that somewhere, deep down inside, Ariko would change, go back to the woman she was before the banishment, before the killing.

That Ariko would return to the girl that he had loved. The girl that he was sworn to care for.

But perhaps that Ariko was lost forever to the changes of time. Still, he must hope.

He looked over at her. She still had the lost look in her eyes… She didn't have much time left.

The sickness of her mind was preparing to claim her, body and soul.

He would correct his wrongs and help the child. Then whatever destiny had prepared for him would fall into the hands of the Fates. May they bring upon him a better future than past…

He leaned his head against the rest. He had tipped off the X man about his substance, and told him to tell the Titans the phrase, something that he had overhead when listening in on Slade when the man hadn't thought much of him. But the question was…

Did he tell the Titans?

**--**

**C.C.C.- **Whoops, sorry for shortness again. Not much time. Will try to write tomorrow's chapter longer, though!

Please review! I miss my reviews… they made me feel all warm and fuzzy… :P

The suspense is building.

Censorship Man: No, it's not.

C.C.C.: Where'd you come from?

C.M.: The closet, if you hadn't remembered!

C.C.C.: Whoopsie. Oh well!

C.M.: Don't you 'Oh well' me! You locked me in a closet to shut me up! 

C.C.C.: I don't have a closet. Therefore, I couldn't have locked you up in one!

C.M.: I'm sure that your insanity would find a way…

C.C.C.: Me too, but I didn't lock you up in a closet!

Shall we end this before it gets too tiresome for the reader? I think sooo…

Till the moon shines above and the stars glimmer a fantasy,

C.C.C.,

And a very ticked off Censorship Man.


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: ARG! NO! I DON'T! Quit reminding me, you darned lawyer people…**

**C.C.C.-** Hey, sorry 'bout the shortness. I tried to give you a bit longer in the whole Slade n Robin POV, so I hope that that kinda makes up for me not making six pages… Or a long chapter.

Excuse the editing, or lack thereof.

We're rounding this thing up… Aww, I feel sad that it'll be over soon… Should I do a sequel, or something?

Oh, yeah. And I'll let the reviewers have some input. **Should Faust live or not? I'm okay either way…**

**--**

**Cyborg (At least I think that it is…)**

The searchlights combed the water, silent white hands reaching out for a boat, crawling over the water and drawing all in to its ghostly light, even those that dwelled in the sea. The hands pulled and pulled at all that surrounded them or felt their feeling less touch, but found nothing. Nothing until they felt the bow of a large boat, sleek and black.

The hands grew in size from the Titan's ship. They swelled and revealed a whole bow. The middle of the boat. The whole boat. The Titan's ship sailed through the water, and they got off onto the unknown craft.

Walking on the boat, the only light was from Cyborg's built in one and the T-Ship. Raven looked around, sensing for people with her mind. Her pale finger stretched out and pointed towards the port. The Titans went in the direction, making as little noise as possible. They turned the corner, all prepared for an attack. All they saw was a young man with a wetsuit on. He looked up at them in confusion.

'Hol-ly heck. I-I kn-knew my mom'd explode if she found out, b-but I never thought of th-this,' his eyes were wide with fear, and he looked at the Titan's fearfully. He had obviously thought that his mother had sent them after him.

Cyborg lowered the Sonic Cannon. Raven sighed and her dark magic swirled away, along with Starfire's Starbolts. Beast Boy became a human once more, and all stared at the boy.

'Kid, what are you doing outside at this time of night? In the middle of the bay without even a light on when it's pitch dark out here? Are you stupid, or just insane?' Alright, it had seemed harsh at the time, and what had been more surprising had been the fact that it had come from _Beast Boy_ of all people.

'He could have been used as a decoy. We don't know yet, Beast Boy.' Raven's calm voice seemed to have a calming effect on the group, their nods telling her that they understood.

'Explain yourself kid.' Cyborg's questioning voice now.

'Th-the waves are r-really s-swell?' Not the answer that they were looking for. Dumb kid.

Dark magic encased them all, and the search began again.

**--**

**Robin**

If that man used one more drug on him, _one more,_ he swore he'd… he'd… Well, he'd do something to him! Just as soon as he could move again, that is.

He blinked twice, and lifted his head. Turning it, he found himself being surveyed by that one eye again. It narrowed. He narrowed his too.

'I see that chemicals don't seem to work on you as well as they should. Impressive, Robin,' the least the man could do would be to keep the sneer out of his voice. And that pride too. Slade didn't have anything to be proud about.

How he hated that man.

He growled, 'Well, maybe they should. Unfortunately though, I keep getting drugged, and it's obvious that I would develop immunities to the drugs that put me out. But you already knew all of that, you just felt like annoying me.'

Slade laughed. He _laughed_. Slade wasn't allowed to laugh. It just didn't seem the… _Slade-ish _thing to do.

Robin began straining against the straps, and Slade's laughter stopped. He looked at him, 'I wouldn't do that if I were you, Robin. We're out on the open sea, and I wouldn't want you getting hurt by the rocking of the boat before your training even truly _begins_.' Robin didn't listen to him. Like he cared what Slade thought. '…And I wouldn't want to level a city because of a disobedient apprentice, either…' That stopped Robin. Damnit! Slade couldn't even let him have one shot! Not one little victory! What was with him?!

Slade chuckled again at the ceasing of Robin's efforts. 'Good, I'm glad that you've _finally_ listened Robin. Perhaps your loyalty will come sooner than I had hoped, if you keep this up.'

Robin snorted, glaring daggers and bird-a-rangs at Slade. 'I'll never be loyal to you Slade, never. And you know it. I'll bet that you're even counting on it. That's the thing with you,' he knew that he was aiming his punches right with this one, 'you never trust anyone, and that will be your downfall. You'll never have someone to back you up, no others for help. You'll fall, just like all of the other criminals. It'll just take longer.'

That stopped all chuckling and brought forth anger. Slade stood up, and walked over to Robin quickly, grabbing his neck and forcing it back, not the least bit gentle. He looked down at Robin with a look that sent shivers down his spine. Maybe he'd gone too far..? Slade's eye narrowed, 'You will _listen _to me, apprentice. I _will _have your loyalty, even if it takes me breaking your back and fixing it back up again to get it. You will learn, and you will show _gratitude _for all that I have done, and you will do it soon with a _smile _on your face, whether or not it takes 1 year, to ten, to twenty. You forget, Robin, I have all of the time in the world, _I am immortal_, but can you really stay sane _forever_? Ask yourself, Robin… Wouldn't it just be better to see things _my way_?'

Yes… It would. But that wouldn't make it right. What was easiest was sometimes not what was right, and what was right was what he, as a hero, must fulfil. It didn't matter if he suffered. The lives of the many always outweighed the lives of the one.

And now he would tell Slade, he supposed. Nothing else to do, other than tick the man off. And Robin could go for world champion at doing that. Too bad he always ended up making the man _proud, _of all things, in the end.

'Yes. It would be easier to give in. But it also wouldn't be right, Slade, and I will never give in to the likes of you. You're filth. A tyrant who has put a death grip around a city. Masters are people who apprentices are supposed to look up to. And I don't see a thing _at all_ to look up to in you other than your height.' He smiled. 'I will never become loyal to you, ever. And you know it.' And he goes for the gold, and gets it!

Slade's eye narrowed more. He seemed to want to half-strangle Robin- Hold that thought, all he wanted to do was strangle Robin. 'You are _very lucky_ apprentice. You will soon learn as to why I picked you of all people out of the many. But as for now, you will sit and you will be _quiet. _The Titans are _not _coming for you, and you _aren't_ their leader anymore. You _will_ learn, in time.'

Slade went back to his seat, and Robin noticed that _he _only had one strap, whereas Robin had… Oh, let's just say that it was somewhere in the vicinity of… seven?

He craned his head to get a better look at his surroundings. He could still feel Slade's eye on him. The deck seemed luxurious, but still quite minimal. The seat that he was on was extremely comfortable, other than the straps of course. He could see a control console for the boat, which, seeing as how that design was relatively new, he could guess that he boat was roughly the same age if not younger (_C.C.C.- I'm making all of this up – bear with me, 'kay? It doesn't matter anyways, but hey_.). The interior was black and silver. He scoffed. He was actually expecting black and copper. What a let down.

The noise had drawn Slade's attention again, which had been lingering on the control console that was next to his seat. He watched Robin for a while and then resumed what he had been doing.

He sighed, pulling at the straps silently. They wouldn't budge. He groaned inwardly.

If ever he needed it, he needed help now.

**--**

**Faust**

How was he to help the boy, if the boy's friends did not show to aid him first? It was obvious thanks to his off-tip… What a strange saying that that was… The English language was such a wonder.

He glanced around again. The temperature had dropped quite a lot. His cheeks, warm when they had left felt cold and numb now. He was lucky that he still could feel his fingers; the gloves weren't very thick.

He looked about for the telltale signs of an approaching vessel… And found none. How very depressing. Couldn't the heroes even do their job right and save those that needed saving? What did they wish for? A massive firework with the letter of the Sladed Man upon it?

Not a bad idea, at current, though. Everybody had their day to die. Perhaps his was now. Perhaps saving the boy was his penance for the deaths past…

He would allow it to wait, then use one of the Sladed Man's object to make the spirits come alive in the sky, and they sun explode before their eyes at night. Surely that would tell the Titans of their location. And if not, then the boy was doomed to a hell worse than death, along with Faust. Oh, well. Death was to be embraced, not avoided. That was a line that he remembered.

He would wait. And if they did not come when the moon had next moved, he would fire off a flaring light or something of the source and that would guide them to their situation.

He hoped that it would never come to that.

**--**

**Starfire**

Nothing. Nothing at all.

No more boats, not even a submarine, no matter how unlikely it was. Robin was out at sea, somewhere, and they weren't there to help him.

What terrible friends they were.

She felt a sob grasp her, right where one of her hearts was located. The tears started, and she had to force herself to stop.

What would Robin want her to do? He would want her to not cry, for the first thing. He would tell her to be strong, that it was going to be okay.

But Robin wasn't here right now.

Another sob, this one louder. Some of the Titans looked her way. Cyborg was lost in using the search parts of the T-Ship and connecting to the tower for a better search. Raven gave her a smile, and that made Starfire begin to feel _really _worried. If Raven was worried, then there was _definitely _something to be worried about. Beast Boy looked into her eyes and shot her a thumbs up, his hands becoming paws, making her laugh a little.

If they could still joke, then there had to still be hope.

**--**

**Faust**

It had been an hour of these mortal's twenty-four. He wouldn't chance the boy's safety any longer.

He raised the gun that he had located in his hour above his head, and fired into the sky. Closing his eyes, he felt strange. He was sure that something would happen as soon as he had fired-

Ariko's fist sent him spinning across the deck, until he finally slammed himself into a pile of boxes. The robots had circled them in, now. He saw the Sladed Man walk up the stairs, look at Ariko, at him, then the signal, and say, in a calm voice, 'Kill him.'

Ariko nodded her head, her face grim. 'I had hoped that this would end before you had to die, Soother, you know how much our destinies have tied and how we have become friends due to that, but it seems the fates and our personalities are against us, in that matter.' And she looked at him, her eyes narrowing.

'That's the sanest thing that you've spoken all your life, Arikonia. Too bad that this will be the last time that such a name is spoken with even a reference to sanity. Come now, friend and life, we shall do battle.' He lunged for her, and she for him and the fight began.

**--**

**The Titans**

They saw it. The massive flare had fired off, and they were heading towards it now. Their search lights soon found the boat, speeding away quickly, but they had it.

They knew where Robin was.

**--**

**C.C.C.**- There you have it, I'll update again soon…

Is it me or is it hard to remember that Slade only has one eye when writing about his little eyeball?

I'm not sure if I used that searchlight thing before, but, if I did then I accidentally did it again.

C.M.'s probably been stolen by a friend of mine, again… Jeez.

Bye bye!

-C.C.C.

**READ AND REVIEW, IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO! Plus, I miss my reviews… **


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: Though I wish I did, NO!**

**C.C.C.-** Sorry for mistakes and shortness. Devil May Cry anime time now…

**Should Faust live or die? Still oooopppeeeennnn…**

**--**

**Faust**

Her blade shot across his armour, leaving a trail of red as it flew from hand to hand, Ariko spinning with each movement. Her eyes never left his, yet it didn't seem to hinder her movements at all.

She leapt through the air, coming up behind him and slashing again with her shuriken. He felt his back armour give way, the metal being slit open by just her touch.

'Soother, you are beyond your knowledge. Perhaps you had not realised, but I have killed many, and you have yet to take a life… I know that you had it in your mind that you did, but in truth, I killed the man when your eyes were turned away in sadness. I knew, though, that I needed a killer to thrive beyond our banishment, and that is what I have created. Unfortunately, though, I am afraid that you will never kill… A pity. People of our ranking in the Community tended to be able to destroy souls with their power…' A flash of too-white teeth and she leaned forward, creating an 'X' just where his heart was. 'It was the Slashed Man, the one that calls himself 'Red X', that you spoke with, wasn't it? You have no secrets around me…'

'Ariko, stop this madness. You and I both know that the Sladed Man's intent are wrong, even for our banishment. We must stop him, Arikonia, and stop him _now._' His fist split the air, but he only landed a blow on her shoulder, which she gracefully sidestepped with a laugh – she was fighting this as if it were a game, and that was her upper hand. She wasn't facing reality again.

'Dearest Soother, know you not that _life _is nothing but wrongs? When an animal takes to life, it breathes another animal's air. When a tree roots itself in the ground, it takes root in another's space. _One cannot live without consciously or unconsciously hurting another. It is merely without possibility._' Hissing words again, she was losing her temper along with her sanity, it seemed. She raised her stars high, one in each hand, and brought them down. He raised an arm in defence, his other reaching for the knife on his side and bringing it up just as he felt the teeth of the star rip pain through his skin. Another blow.

Her midsection had twisted with the attack, and she kicked at his legs to follow through. He crashed to the floor, knife skittering away, and looked up at her. She was towering over him, eyes wide and lip curled into a cruel smile, a shuriken between her index and middle finger on each hand.

'I suppose, it is now the time to end our friendship, Soother of mine, and now, for the last time, _goodbye, Soother._' He looked up at her as she began lowering her hands, the stars slipping through her fingers, falling towards him.

The bleeding of death began.

**--**

**Robin**

He'd heard the noise, and the pop of a gun (which type he didn't know), and then it had gone silent. Then it had begun again.

The sounds had begun as soft muffled movements across the deck, and then there had been a large crash and a loud _SLAM. _After that it had gone quiet again.

Slade had gone up and come back down in that time. He seemed to be more interested in his console now, though. He hadn't paid any attention to Robin for five whole minutes. A new world record.

He had begun working at the straps, taking advantage of Slade's lack of attention. It was harder than he'd thought, because he was having to leave small parts of the fabric at the ends to make it look like he was still securely strapped in should Slade decide to glance his way. He was on strap 6 six now.

Just one more and a little distraction was all that he needed and then he would attack Slade and get whatever controller he had on him. Then, after snapping it in half, he would somehow get a hold of the Titans.

Sure, it was filled to the brim with holes, but it was a rough sketch of a plan. He was allowed to make it not quite go together yet.

Slade tapped the keys again, and the boat shuddered, the light above them flickering on and off along with the monitors.

What was happening?!

**--**

**Beast Boy**

Whoops. Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.

Raven looked at him. He couldn't really help it, could he? Who would own a pitch black boat and bring it out to sea when it was pitch black outside? The answer: Dumb teenagers and evil super villains.

Come to think of it, he may not want to go there… Batman liked his black too… And he was scary…

Besides, it wasn't really all that bad was it? Cyborg let him control the T-Ship on their way there whilst he worked the weapons, but… Maybe he should have let Raven or Starfire do it…

Oh well. Too late now. Raven released the roof lock (_C.C.C.- I forgot what it's called! Nooo!_), and they stepped out on the T-Ship's hull. Beast Boy's eyes darted back and forth.

'Ummm… Shouldn't there be like a bazillion robots here right now to squash us or something that a super villain would do to keep us away?' No response. Well, the least that they could do was respond…

_SLAM! _ Sometimes he didn't like it when his questions were answered…

There were robots all around them, landing on the T-Ship and the black boat in a second of his comment. Maybe they were drawn by his voice…

Hey, wait a minute… 'These things're SLADEBOTS!' Surprise clutched his voice, his eyes growing wider as he took in the faces of each robot, Slade's simplistic mask design his but not strictly resembling him very apparent.

Raven and Cyborg were too stunned to answer, and Starfire had already started blasting the bots to Kingdome Come with her Starbolts. She had only taken a moment to gaze around her surroundings before her eyes and hands had burst with the power of the sun and fought the robots.

Beast Boy was charging them now, leaping up and becoming a hawk and swooping down, morphing into a raptor and biting through their metal flesh.

He felt a small sizzle on his arm and looked up to see Raven ripping them apart with her dark magic, whilst Cyborg let them taste his sonic cannon.

The robots fell, but more and more seemed to fill their place. He looked over the edge and gasped, seeing two boats filled with robots being tethered to the side (_C.C.C.- See? I am being slightly logical in all of this…_) loading robots on board.

It looked like this would be a battlefield.

Blood flew through the air, landing on his arm, causing him to jump. His worried eyes looked immediately at Raven, but she was only her normal shade of gray. Starfire was fine too, and Cyborg also…

So who was it that was bleeding?

More blood, and he battled his was through the robots in the direction of the blood. Robots didn't bleed, so maybe someone needed help. Maybe _Robin_ needed help.

It was the assassins… One was on the floor, the other standing above them-

_Whack! _Oww… that hurt. He dodged the next blow, punching into the mask, something that he instantly regretted. That thing was _hard_! What did Slade use for these things, some sort of diamond steel?! He wouldn't put it past him…

He couldn't see the assassins now… He was engulfed in the tide of Sladebots…

**--**

**Starfire**

Another down, her green Starbolt sizzling through its head. And another.

She fought her way through, green eyes narrowed with concentration, until she found a door. Opening it quickly and shutting it after calling out to friend Raven and receiving a glance and a nod, she flew through the room.

Then she saw him. Robin was there moving but at the same time not moving. He was strapped in to something…

She called out his name and flew to him, and saw him look up to see her, saw the white's of his mask, and her smile grew. Robin was safe! Her Robin was safe!

Then it all went black.

--

C.C.C.- Now, you can't honestly say that you weren't really expecting that last bit. This _is _angst, people!

Hmmm… only one answer to the Faust question… My reviews seem to have disappeared…

XD I love writing Beast Boy… he's soo… fun.

Back to watching Devil May Cry anime… can't look away…

Sorry for mistakes and shortness! The final chapter will be long!

-C.C.C.

P.S.- I made BB crash the T-Ship! XD Whoopsie!


	17. Chapter 17  End

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. Neither a comic book nor DVD do I own. How shameful.**

**C.C.C.- **Hi!

Well, we're coming to the end now, I suppose, but I have decided that writing a sequel would be a…

C.M.: Would you like a drum roll?

C.C.C.: Not really… Good idea. There shall be a sequel! It may not be updated as quickly, though, because school is going to start soon and as this is my last year of mandatory (I will go on to A levels and University hopefully, though) education I have to hit the books.

On with the show.

C.M.: 'drum roll'

C.C.C.: '…'

**--**

**Faust**

He watched her fall, her eyes trained on his with tears falling behind them. She fell to the side, her long hair tracing her descent. All he heard was the thud of her body hitting the ground, then he was scrambling up towards her, holding her in his arms and looking into her eyes.

The eyes of a child, the girl that he had fallen in love with.

They blinked, the lashes dotted with tears, lashes that had blinked so many times around him, oh _gods_, she was _dying._

Her lips began to move, the red of death trickling down them onto her uniform, the words coming forth in short bursts, 'Soother… Life… I'm sorry…'

He held her closer at this, feeling her heart beat, tears of his own falling. The insanity had claimed her, but that wasn't what had killed her.

Slade had killed her.

He felt her muscles moving in his grasp, and looked at her face once more, watching her eyes, the insanity gone replaced with death's sanity. 'Soother, all have their days to die… But this one is not yours… Slade… He is… evil… I see that… Run, my Soother… Run, and live…'

He felt one last tremble from her body, a shudder of lost life, and then she was still. He looked at her face, the eyes looking at his still, and lifted a hand and closed them. He raised himself upwards, and turned, staring at each robot, feeling an anger that had never coursed through his body before. He saw the robot that had shot the bullet, the robot that had taken commands from _The Sladed Man_, and charged it, driving his hand through its metal chest and feeling _good _as the pain coursed through him.

He would avenge Ariko.

The Sladed Man would suffer.

**--**

**Beast Boy**

Duck and dive, duck and dive. Punch. Avoid the flying metal-y bits that came out of nowhere from the what-ja-ma-call-it. Punch again.

Beast Boy followed the routine until he found a doorway that seemed consumed by the remains of the Sladebots, their metal carcasses glinting beautifully in the moonlight. The robots seemed to be clear of the doorway, as if Slade had programmed allocated parts of the boat into their heads and the ones for the door were all destroyed.

Huh. Funny how a man so smart could create robots so stupid.

Ramming his fist into the skull of a robot, and flinching at the pain, Beast Boy stole another glance at the door. It seemed to be slightly ajar; someone probably hadn't had the time to shut the door properly in their haste.

He couldn't dream of Slade doing something like that (and yet, the robots…), so he guessed it was probably one of the fighter-people that Slade had hired, or someone that was a Titan.

The second possibility made him move with more urgent haste.

After dodging another robot before shifting into a Raptor and biting its head off, Beast Boy ran at the door, fumbling with the knob and pulling it open. He slammed it shut behind him, and looked around for more robots. There weren't any that he could see, and that said it all in one.

One of his team-mates was in here, probably in trouble. He ran down the steps, looking around and not paying all that much attention as he looked for his team-mate. Then he saw him. Robin.

His head was hung over his body, and he was looking at something… Beast Boy turned his head to look and… _WHAM!_

The fist sent him reeling across the room into Robin, who let go an _OOMPH! _as Beast Boy hit him. Then he got up, turning into a Raptor and running at Slade, the memory of Terra filling his mind. This man, _this monster_, was mainly responsible for what had happened to Terra. He needed to be taken in – he needed justice served upon him.

Slade laughed, taking up a bo staff and Beast Boy saw Robin's eyes narrow. He saw something shine in Robin's hand… Was that a piece of scrap metal? And then it was gone again, hidden within the armour of Robin suit, the small sliver of metal no longer within reach of his eyes.

_WHAM! _the staff smacked (_C.C.C.- Whammed! XD) _against his midsection, taking the air from his lungs and giving him flight halfway across the room. He landed right next to a computer monitor, the machine blinking on and off as he had collided with it.

He was alive but dazed and looked up across the room at Slade – was that Starfire behind him? The alien princess's head was hanging just like Robin's had been, but he could see her eyes, and knew that they were shut. She was alive. Slade had probably tranquilised her just to use her as blackmail with Robin, the creep.

He got up, becoming a lion and launching himself at Slade, then turning into a hawk and going for his mask. He wouldn't let Slade get away with this, not with everything that he'd done, the man would do his time in jail, he would be sure of it.

Transforming again into a snake and wrapping his body around Slade's head and squeezing, Beast Boy fought.

**--**

**Slade**

That damned brat. He was over his eye with his Anaconda body, wrapping tight enough to almost break his mask. Well – he wouldn't be doing that for long, Slade would make sure of it.

He felt his mask give a little, and grabbed at the Anaconda's head and squeezing as hard as he could – returning the favour. The snake seemed to shake a lot before he felt the skin begin to move and the animal change, dropping it as it did so. Beast Boy returned, glaring up at Slade with hatred.

'What? Don't you remember your manners, _child_? Do unto others as you would do unto yourself…_ Or have __them__ do unto you…'_ he kicked at the green boy, his boot catching him in the head and drawing red blood. The boy fell back, and Slade leapt forward,

-only to be caught by Robin's jump kick to his head. The boy could interrupt at such _annoying _times… Wheeling around, he gave Robin an uppercut to the jaw, hearing an ominous _Click! _as his teeth hit each other. Robin did a flip through the air just from the hit, landing on his stomach on the ground. The green boy was back up again too, helping Robin up and they seemed to be planning on how to bring him down…

Like it would work…

**--**

**Robin**

Beats Boy was helping him up from what he had to say was one of the _hardest _punches that Slade had ever dealt to him. And it was a good thing. It meant that Slade was thinking that they had a chance of winning, which gave more confidence to Robin that they could win. It also meant that Slade wasn't playing with them anymore.

'Right, Beast Boy, I want you to go and try to wake up Star while I distract Slade. Slade used some tranquiliser on her, and I think that it was a strong one, but try anyway. It might not've worked well because of her different anatomy,' with that he dodged a punch to his sternum, throwing Beast Boy in Star's direction.

Slade's eye narrowed at him again, 'I see that you're trying to bring the alien back to consciousness… Let me tell you, apprentice, _no matter how many people you have fighting with you, you will never win.'_ He rushed Robin again, not allowing Robin time at all to recover or fight back, punch after punch hitting Robin with him only successful in dodging a few of them.

He saw Beast Boy talking to Star and felt relieved – her beautiful green eyes were open, and that meant that she was safe – for the moment. He dodged another hit, and then lashed out at Slade with a roundhouse kick – and the man caught his foot, going round in a circle then hurling Robin at the stairs. His head whacked against the door, and he saw stars- And then Star.

She was looking at him, her eyes right above his, her mouth right above his- then he felt her warm skin grab his and her lips moved, 'Friend Robin, we must go to the safety. We must leave for the T-Ship and meet Friend Cyborg and Friend Raven. They may be in need of our assistance!'

'We will, Star, we will. But first we have to' – there was a screech as Beast Boy was thrown next to them in his monkey form – 'Get the controller off of Slade's wrist so that he doesn't do anything to compromise the city.' After the last statement Robin was dragged by the scruff of his neck back wards and hurled into a wall by Slade. The man didn't seem to want to play at all anymore, and was out for blood.

He looked Robin in the eye as he said, enunciating every word with power in his voice, 'Robin _you will not win_. Give up now and swear to be my apprentice and I may spare them and the city – don't and if you lose then those people and your city _will suffer and die._ This is your one and only warning, _young man, _and I will not be lenient towards you anymore on the matter.' Slade had picked him up from the front of his uniform this time and was holding him up against the wall forcing him to look him in the eye, with Robin struggling to get free and to beat the living daylights out of the man.

Robin looked up, defiance sparking behind his mask, and something that seemed to close to a smile for comfort formed on his lips, 'We _will _win, Slade, and you _are _going to jail. And there's nothing that you can do to stop it. And I don't think that the criminal justice system will be lenient on _you_.' His smile grew, and he kicked at Slade, caught in the surprise of Robin's statement, sending Slade back a few paces as he released Robin.

The one eye narrowed this time, and Slade cracked his neck as Starfire and Beast Boy joined Robin, prepared to fight.

And win.

**--**

**Raven**

Whilst their team-mates below deck kept Slade busy, Raven and Cyborg were destroying robot after robot easily. They had one of Slade's accomplice's help, and he had identified himself as Faust. It seemed that he too had a grudge against Slade, and Raven had only to peer into his mind a little bit to realise that he was telling nothing but truth.

He was helping them now, attacking robot with a ferocity that neither Cyborg nor Raven possessed, almost as if he had some sort of grudge against both Slade _and _each and every one of his robots. He had blades upon his hands, like metal knuckles but with knives instead of rounded ends, and he was using these to slice open robot after robot. Not that it mattered… She supposed that he could do it easily without them, at the rate that he was going…

She raised her hands again, the magic forming a glove around her hands and then spreading around her, pooling at her feet and then becoming like lightning and destroying the heads of three robots in one go. Not that it helped a lot, though. There were always four to fill in the place of the three that she had destroyed, but she knew that Slade's resources would be exhausted if they kept at it.

She just wished that _they _weren't exhausted before Slade's resources…

**--**

**Faust**

He slit through the metal man, making his blade destroy it with his hands. He had not used his blades in an expanse of many moons, and it was complicating itself because of it. The image of Ariko kept him going though; he would avenge her.

And the first part of his vengeance were to be the metal men, for one of them had allowed it's blunt knife of speed to slip through her body, and make the blood of death spew. And for that the metal men could not redeem themselves in time to same themselves.

He continued to attack, driving his hands into the machines, feeling their brown blood glisten on his blades and catch fire as their blood of energy slid against it. Yet it didn't stop him, his hands were protected from the Sladed Man's cloth, and it seemed to make the man's light dance and play around it yet never on it.

He kicked upwards at another metal man, driving his boot through it's skull and grimacing as the pain that ran through his body – the pain of vengeance, something that his people had thought was wrong and to never be done, but he knew must be done.

The Sladed Man had to be stopped, even if it took away his life doing so.

**--**

**Slade**

They were such _pests._ The alien girl had slammed her foot into his side when he was having his little _discussion_ with Robin, and sent him into the monitors causing to boat's power to switch on and off, and possibly making some of his systems fail. The little _brat._

'It would seem that part of a Titan's necessary traits is a disrespect for elders…' he said, standing up and taking up his usual stance as he faced them, the lights continuing to switch on and off as the boat shook. It wasn't something that he had built to take World War III, although he had to say that it was doing quite a good job at the moment.

The green pest charged him next, turning into a wolf and lunging for his throat only to feel Slade's uppercut to the beast's neck, and the green boy emitted a whine as he fell. The alien girl came at him after this, yanking up a chair and charging him with it, he had to say, something that he didn't expect. Her yell of fury alerted him to her presence, and he blocked eat blow with his forearm.

The wait for Robin to join in the fight was not long, and he leapt in with a high kick to Slade's head, right on the top and sending a large crack rippling down to his eye and the second grate on his right side. Robin continued to jump and flip and he was fighting both the alien girl and Robin, when he felt a nip, and the controller on his wrist was gone, _gone, _in that green pest's jaw. He ha the dog in a death grip a moment later, suffocating it still as the alien girl continued to hit him on the head.

He reached up and grasped her by her hair after he had successfully sent the wolf form of the green pest asleep and dragged her down from the air, ramming her head against the wall many times as Robin continued to attack him until she passed out, her long red hair matted with blood.

He cracked his neck and turned to his disobedient apprentice, his eye narrowing. 'Now, apprentice, they will _die, _because of _your _actions. Had you only accepted my offer then they may have lived, but _now _they will die and it will be _your fault._' His eye narrowed and after his speech Robin lunged at him, fighting with everything he had.

Slade fought back, breaking some of Robin's ribs and giving him bruises. Robin wouldn't give up though, something that Slade smiled at behind the crack in his mask.

The door burst open then, and that boy, Faust or whatever his name was came flying across the room, cutting into Slade's arms, trying to kill him. Maybe the order to kill the girl had come too soon…?

Raven and Cyborg were there too, helping their team-mates, all of them severely outnumbering Slade. He sighed behind his mask.

It would seem that Robin had avoided perfection again…

But not for long.

He leapt over the destroyed objects, over his destroyed controller, and went up to the console. Sure, his back up detonator on the bomb to the city was unable to be used because the computers were broken, but, the Titans still didn't know where it was. He could still use it.

He pulled up the computers to the small self destruct device in his boat and pressed the button, running up to the stairs and stopping, 'Robin, you _are _my apprentice, and I will make you a villain. In due time,' he smiled. 'Until we meet again, apprentice, when you shall serve me forever. But, as for now, I suppose that you must all be on your way to avoid the bomb.'

He was off then, leaping over the boat just as his escape pod lowered itself, and jumping inside. It immediately ejected from the boat, and he caught a glimpse of Robin looking his way, then he was gone.

Until of course, he returned for his apprentice.

And this time there would be no stopping him.

**--**

**Robin**

He'd seen Slade's pod (black, who would have guessed, but it was shiny enough in the moonlight) just as it had gone out of his sight and he supposed that that was a sign to hurry.

He had escaped again, thankfully with his friends help, and it seemed that the threat of Slade was out in the distance.

Sadly, that was too close when it concerned Slade. The man was a predator, lurking just beyond your vision, and as soon as you got too relaxed, he would come in and destroy you. Or, in Robin's case, 'Perfect'.

They were in the T-Ship again (Now with a considerable dent that Cyborg was harassing Beast Boy about), cruising towards Titan's Tower with the wreck of Slade's boat behind them, smouldering slightly in the water, with half of it probably drifting towards the bottom of the bay to make new fish habitats.

He looked over to Starfire, and saw her eyes looking at him, and smiled. She was safe. It had seemed that her skull was also stronger than a human's, and that she would be fine. In fact, she was once again talking of Tameranian (_C.C.C.- Sp?_) festivals of being reunited and something about Klumbargs.

Never had he been so happy to hear it. Raven had a smile on her face too, and was just watching the moon shine above the sea, the waves lapping against the T-Ship with soothing sounds. Of course, take BB to ruin the moment and complain about the bathroom after he and Cyborg had just finished their argument and were talking again of All-You-Can-Eat-Breakfast-Explosions.

He laughed, and said into his mike, 'What, is that a Slade Tradition or something? I seem to remember it happening last time, too.' The grin on his face didn't fade as he heard Beast Boy and Cyborg respond in unison, 'Of course!', with a dude added from BB.

He hadn't felt this happy in a long while.

**--**

**Faust**

He had taken one of the boats, and ridden it to shore. Of course, the Titans had merely told him to not harm people, or he would be '_getting a visit from them soon'_, or something along the lines of those.

But he knew that the Sladed Man had got away, and that he would have to stop the Sladed Man, and avenge Ariko, or at least aid the Children in bringing him to their so-called 'just-ice', the system that seemed to allow murders life and many freedom.

But if it was what was right, which he couldn't tell when it came to this part of the world's system of morals, and he believed Robin when he had stated it before their departure, then he would help achieve it. He would right his wrongs, for Ariko and for himself.

He sat down upon the shore, and began working the magic that had made him banished from the community. He had healed a killer, a young girl accused of killing her mother. He was born with a talent, to heal wounds. The young girl had called it _'soothing'_ and he had taken it upon himself to help her even after her banishment, causing him to become banished.

He healed his wounds, and looked up at the moon. Ariko was dead, and he alive.

But it would all be right in the end, the moon's light seemed to tell him so.

**--**

**C.C.C.-** Good, bad, terrible? Please tell me, all of my reviewers bar two have stopped telling me…

Well, I wrote it, my first multi-chapter fanfic is now over, but I think that there should be a sequel, don't you?

C.M.: That took so long… 'yawns' Can we go now?

C.C.C.: Wait, I need to say thanks to everyone who reviewed and to those who didn't. I hope that you liked it.

C.M.: Uh huh…

C.C.C.: …And this. 17 V 1!!! XD She's away right now, but she texted me (or intended to do so, thank golly for phone delays) at 5 in the morning, so she receives no mercy, especially telling me that she had pancakes… 'grumbles' So they all now know that you didn't update, my friend! XD

C.M.: Cruel.

C.C.C.: Yup!

Robin: Took you long enough to get me out of that situation.

C.C.C.: Sorry, but I put it under angst So I couldn't help it.

Slade: Not angsty enough. Write it _better _next time, _girl._

C.C.C.: Hey, don't treat me like that! I can make your mask pink!

Slade: You wouldn't dare… 'glares'

C.C.C.: 'gulps' Yup, I wouldn't…

Robin: No sequel. It's too angsty.

C.C.C.: Sequel. Not angsty enough. You really need to look more up on fanfic, mate, then you'll see angsty.

C.M.: NO!

C.C.C.: Time to wrap it up. Thanks for everything, all.

ALL (Slade not included for health reasons of the author) : Bye bye!

C.C.C.: Until the sequel.

**THE END: FOR NOW**


End file.
